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The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and Manila Critics Circle announce that the nominations for the 31st National Book Awards (NBA) is finally open.
Nominations for the Literary division shall include entries on Fiction, Non-Fiction Prose, Anthology, Literary Criticism/Literary History, Poetry, and Graphic Literature categories, while nominations for the Non-Literary division shall include Art, Professions, Social Sciences, Leisure, and Science categories. And for this year, we will be accepting entries for the E-books category under the Non-Literary division.
Please click "Read more" to view the full nomination/selection criteria for the 31st National Book Awards. Deadline of submissions are up until 30 April 2012. Books mailed from outside Manila postmarked 30 April 2012 will be accepted.
NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
NOMINATION/SELECTION CRITERIA
General
Guidelines and Definitions
1.
Book: A printed and bound volume. The awards do not
cover electronic books, except in a category specified below. Textbooks or books with exercises meant for classroom
use are not considered books for purposes of the awards.
2.
Eligible
Book: A book copyrighted and
published in the Philippines
in the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the award is eligible.
Except for books authored by members of the MCC and the BOJ, there are no restrictions as
regard authorship; authors may be Filipinos or non-Filipinos, individuals or
groups, dead or alive. Books published earlier or in the same year outside
the country but published independently by a Philippine publisher in the
calendar year preceding the year of the award are also eligible.
3. Ineligible Book: A reprint of a
book already considered during a previous award year, a second or later edition
(even if revised or enlarged), a book with plagiarized passages, a book that
infringes on copyright, a book by a publisher not duly registered with the
NBDB, a book without an international standard book number (ISBN), a book
authored by an NBDB-appointed judge in the category s/he is judging, a book
written by a National Artist for Literature, and any title authored by any
member of the MCC
are automatically disqualified from competing for the awards.
4.
Nominated
Book: A book may be nominated
if it is better written and more significant than other books in its
category. Writing includes mechanics or grammar, typographical errors,
copy editing, structure of thought and ideas, and style. Significance includes
original contribution to its field of study or interest, accuracy of data, and
reader impact. The reputation of the publisher, distribution, and actual
sales figures are irrelevant to the awards.
5.
Design: Except for the award for Best Design, the design of a
book is secondary to content in the selection of the finalists and winners,
unless the design seriously hampers the delivery of the content.
6.
Divisions: There shall be two divisions: Literary and
Non-Literary, with specific categories within each division further described
in these rules. In the Literary division, there are some categories that are
open to books in three languages: English, Filipino, and Ilocano.
7. Publisher: A registered NBDB publisher, foundation,
association, or
ongoing business engaged in publishing, developing and
distributing printed
material, or entity that published a book for a special
purpose may nominate a
book.
Small and independent publishers who are
unable to register with the NBDB for lack of the required documents and/or
ISBNs may still submit nominations to any of the categories in any of the
divisions; however, they may only be awarded a Special Critics’ Citation
and not a National Book Award.
Professional organizations and ongoing businesses that
submit titles for consideration must
also submit a copy of their SEC
registration to the NBDB.
I. LITERARY DIVISION
1. Literary Categories
Literary
Awards are given to books that include
or are about creative writing. These include the following genres: Fiction,
Nonfiction Prose, Anthology, Literary Criticism/Literary History, Poetry, and
Graphic Literature in the following languages:
a)
English;
b)
Filipino;
and
c)
Ilocano.
Books
published in Ilocano within the last three calendar years (2009-2011) will be
accepted for this year’s awards.
1.1 Fiction
(Novel) – a book that contains a full-length story of at least 50,000 words.
A nominated book offers a narrative that
follows the conventions of the writing of long literary fiction, such as
plurisignification, logical structure, consistency of characterization, and
precision in the use of language and literary devices. The book may
deliberately challenge these conventions, but there should be clear evidence
that the novelist has done so not out of ignorance but out of deep knowledge of
the tradition of the novel.
A winning book both delights and
instructs, offering breadth and depth comparable to the Philippine novels
earlier given National Book Awards. If two or more books are tied for the
award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared
the winner.
1.2 Fiction
(Short Fiction) – a book that contains a collection of stories resolved in
less than 50,000 words each.
A nominated book is generally written in prose or a
narrative format.
A nominated book offers narratives that
follow the conventions of the writing of literary fiction, such as
plurisignification, logical structure, consistency of characterization, and
precision in the use of language and literary devices.
A winning book contains stories that all
both delight and instruct, offering breadth and depth comparable to the
Philippine books of short stories earlier given National Book Awards. If
two or more books are tied for the award, the one that is better written in
terms of literary quality, especially one in which the stories form a distinct
whole when read together, is declared the winner.
1.3 Nonfiction
Prose – A full-length nonfictional work or collection of short
nonfictional works, including personal essays, autobiographies, biographies,
memoirs, and other genres included in the broad category of creative
nonfiction.
If two or more books are tied for the
award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is declared
the winner.
Just in case there is a full length and a collection
of essays competing for the award, and they are both deserving of the award,
both will be given National Book Awards.
1.4 Anthology – a book that contains a
collection of literary works written by several writers chosen by a
compiler/editor or compilers/editors. It
may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, short novels, or creative
nonfiction pieces.
A nominated book contains literary pieces
that are all of outstanding literary quality, that contribute to an overall
theme or impression, and that are arranged in a clearly deliberate and
purposeful order.
A winning book is consistently delightful
and instructive, offering breadth and depth comparable to the Philippine
anthologies earlier given National Book Awards. If two or more books are
tied for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality
is declared the winner.
1.5 Literary
Criticism/Literary History – a book that contains either a continuous work
or several articles in the field of literary criticism, literary theory, or
literary history.
A nominated book shows evidence of the
author's having taken into account the latest books in literary theory, both
local and foreign. The book must apply tools derived from contemporary
theory to texts created by Philippine writers, though it could also contain
analyses of works by non-Philippine writers.
A winning book is at the cutting-edge of
literary theory, criticism, or history, exploring new areas of scholarship or
reading that goes beyond what is already available in academic circles. If
two or more books are tied for the award, the one that offers a new literary
theory or a new component of an existing literary theory or presents a new
reading of texts is declared the winner.
1.6 Poetry
– a book that contains either a continuous poem or several poems.
A nominated book offers poems that follow
the conventions of poetry, whether of traditional, modern, or avant-garde
poetry, including but not limited to the interaction of sound and sense,
profound sensibility, and awareness of poetic genres.
A
winning book offers fresh insights into the human condition, particularly the
condition of Filipinos inside or outside the country.
1.7 Graphic
Literature – a book that contains autobiography, creative nonfiction,
fiction, or other literary genre, but in graphic or illustrated, rather than
purely verbal form.
A nominated book offers a narrative or
anthology of narratives that follows the conventions of the writing of literary
graphic fiction, such as congruence of verbal and illustrated content, logical
structure, consistency of characterization, and precision in the use of visual
and literary devices.
A winning book both delights and
instructs, offering breadth and depth comparable to the Philippine graphic
novels, graphic anthologies, or comic books earlier given National Book
Awards. If the book is a collection of separate texts, there should be a
unifying theme or motif among these texts. If two or more books are tied
for the award, the one that is better written in terms of literary quality is
declared the winner.
2. Nomination
Any publisher defined in the General
Guidelines and Definitions registered with the National Book Development Board
(NBDB) may nominate a literary title as defined above, published in the
previous year (except for those books published in Ilocano), by sending a
letter of nomination and by submitting an initial six (6) copies of that title
for consideration of a chosen literary organization in the above categories, in
English, Filipino, or any other language. The publisher must clearly state in
the letter of nomination under which category he wants his title considered.
The 6 initial copies shall go to the
following:
a. Each member of the Prescreening
Committee;
b. The NBDB library; and
c. The NBDB-chosen design outfit/book
designer.
3. Prescreening Committee
There will be four (4) persons designated
to prescreen the nominated books in the Literary Division, who shall be:
3.1 A nominee from a literary organization or a
person considered an expert in the field -The NBDB shall select a literary
organization, which shall be asked to nominate one (1) member to serve in the
prescreening committee of the NBA, or a known expert in the field to prescreen
the nominations. In the case of a literary organization, it shall be given five
(5) days from receipt of the letter asking them to nominate a member, after
which the NBDB reserves the right to select another literary organization;
3.2 A nominee of the NBDB- The NBDB shall
nominate one (1) person of competent expertise, who shall also be the NBDB’s
permanent judge for this division; and
3.3 Two members of the MCC- The MCC shall elect
two (2) members from its ranks to be part of the prescreening committee, who
shall not necessarily
be the same members of the prescreening committee in
the other division but must be part of the BOJ.
Prescreening of books in Ilocano -
The NBDB and the MCC shall nominate one (1) judge each who shall prescreen all
the books in all the categories in these languages for the Literary Division.
These judges must also necessarily be part of the BOJ of the Literary Division.
All meetings by the Prescreening
Committee shall be scheduled beforehand by the NBDB and shall be documented by
a member of the NBDB Secretariat.
4. Finalists
The Prescreening Committee shall select
no more than five (5) titles per category, which 5 titles shall automatically
be considered finalists from which a winner for that particular category shall
be chosen. The choice of finalists by the Prescreening Committee shall be by
majority vote of the members of the Prescreening Committee, and all
decisions of the Prescreening Committee shall be final.
5. Notice to Finalists
Publishers of titles chosen as finalists
by the Prescreening Committee shall be informed in writing by the NBDB that
their titles have been chosen as finalists in the specific categories
indicated, and shall be required to submit an additional five (5) copies of the
books to
the
NBDB. Non-submission of the required copies will disqualify the title from
consideration by the BOJ.
The NBDB shall inform the BOJ no later
than August 15, 2012, that the books to be the subject of final judging are
ready for pick up at the NBDB office.
II. Non-Literary Division
1. Non-Literary Categories
Non-Literary Awards are given to books that do not include nor are about
creative writing, except that such creative writing techniques may be used
occasionally to enhance the text.
1.1.
Art – a book that focuses on any of the art forms (including
photography, film, and television), except literature. A collection of
essays on art by a single author or by several authors, provided the essays are
not primarily literary or creative, is classified under this category. For purposes of the awards, photojournalism
is considered an art form.
A nominated book offers fresh and
original insights into the work/s of a visual, performing, electronic, or other
type of artist/s. If the book is a collection of separate texts, each text
must have the characteristic listed above. A book featuring mostly
photographs of artworks may be nominated if the prose portion is
substantial.
A winning book is itself a work of art,
blending design with content, style with the style of the artist/s
discussed. If two or more books are tied for the award, the one that
offers a more comprehensive account of the body of work of an artist or artists
is declared the winner.
1.2 Professions
- a book that focuses on law, medicine, accounting, engineering, or other
professions requiring licensure examinations, and the application of these
professions to daily life.
A nominated book is meant primarily for
the general reading public and not for other professionals (such as lawyers,
law students, doctors, medical students, engineers, and so on). It must
offer accurate and useful advice based on existing laws, medical knowledge, or
other professional practice. It must be well-written in terms of style,
with a readability level as high or lower than that of educated
non-professionals. If the book is a collection of separate texts, each
text must have the characteristics listed above.
A winning book is a full-length text that
does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone. If two or more books are
tied for the award, the one that focuses on lesser known aspects of the
profession is declared the winner.
1.3 Social
Sciences – a book in the area of any of the social sciences, including
history, religious studies, and interdisciplinary studies.
A nominated book offers a fresh and
original insight into its subject, in an expository style that displays correct
and precise use of language, accuracy of data, extensiveness of research, and
awareness of audience impact. If the book is a collection of separate
texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above.
A winning book is a full-length text that
does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone. If two or more
books are tied for the award, the one that focuses on less explored aspects of
the social sciences is declared the winner.
1.4 Leisure
– a book about travel, tourism, sports, sports management, food, fashion and
other such areas.
A nominated book offers a fresh and
original insight into its subject, in an expository style that displays correct
and precise use of language, accuracy of data, extensiveness of research, and
awareness of audience impact. If the book is a collection of separate
texts, each text must have the characteristics listed above. A book
featuring mostly photographs may be nominated if the prose portion is
substantial.
A winning book is a full-length text that
does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone. If two or more
books are tied for the award, the one that inspires more readers to take up a
leisure activity or that offers newer or more information on leisure activity
matters is declared the winner.
1.5 Science
– a book in the area of any of the natural or physical sciences.
A nominated book is meant primarily for
the general reading public and not for scientists or science students. It
must be well-written in terms of style, with a readability level as high or
lower than that of educated adults without science degrees. If the book is
a collection of separate texts, each text must have the characteristics listed
above.
A winning book is a full-length text that
does not falter in places but keeps a consistent tone. If two or more
books are tied for the award, the one that focuses on lesser known aspects of
science is declared the winner.
1.6 eBooks – is a book-length publication in
digital or electronic form, consisting of
text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable
on computers or other electronic devices.
There should be no equivalent print edition of the book previously
available in the market. Original eBooks that may be ordered on a
Print-On-Demand basis are eligible for this category.
A nominated eBook should be enhanced, i.e., not merely
an electronic duplicate of a printed book. For example, there might be colored
texts, colored photographs otherwise expensive to print, clickable table of
contents or index, video, film clips, music, and the like. The platform in
which the eBook is available is irrelevant to the award.
A winning eBook, like a winning printed book, offers
fresh insight into its subject matter, is well-written, and delights the
reader.
N.B. In order to nominate an entry in this category,
the publisher must send the link and a password (if applicable) to the NBDB.
2.
Nomination
Any publisher as defined in the
Guidelines and Definitions may nominate a title published in the previous year,
by submitting a letter of nomination for the above categories. A publisher who
nominates a titles must also submit six (6) initial copies of that title
for consideration of the judges. The publisher must clearly state in the letter
of nomination under which category s/he wants the title considered.
Submissions by university departments
must contain the signature of the head of the department, or an authorized
department representative as designated by the dean of the college or the
university president.
The 6
copies shall go to the following:
a.
Each member of the Prescreening Committee;
b.
The NBDB library; and
c.
the NBDB-chosen design outfit or book designer.
3. Prescreening Committee
There will be four (4) persons designated
to prescreen the nominated books in the whole Non-Literary Division, who shall
be:
3.1 A nominee from a non-literary organization
selected by the NBDB-The NBDB shall select a professional organization,
university department, or an expert from the specific field to be part of the
prescreening committee. In case of a professional organization or university
department, it shall be asked to nominate one (1) member to serve in the
prescreening committee of the NBA. The chosen professional organization or
university department shall be given five (5) days from receipt of the letter
asking them to nominate a member, after which the NBDB reserves the right to
select another professional organization, university department, or an
individual who is a known expert in the field;
3.2 A nominee of the NBDB- The NBDB shall
nominate one (1) person of competent expertise, who shall also be the NBDB’s
permanent judge for this division; and
3.3. Two members of the MCC- The MCC shall
elect two (2) members from its ranks to be part of the prescreening committee,
who shall not necessarily be the same members of the prescreening committee in
the other division.
The Prescreening Committee shall choose no
more than five (5) nominees by a majority vote to become finalists, which
titles shall be elevated to the BOJ for consideration.
All meetings by the Prescreening
Committee shall be scheduled beforehand by the NBDB and shall be documented by
a member of the NBDB Secretariat.
III. Design
1. Design – the overall design of a book,
including but not limited to the cover design, the choice of typefaces, the
dimensions of the page, the lay-out, the type of paper, the binding, and the
printing.
1.1. The award for Best Design is not intended to be
limited to coffee table books; an
inexpensive book without pictures or illustrations can be better designed than
an expensive one with pictures or illustrations.
1.2. A nominated book combines all the elements of
design into a coherent whole,
supplementing but not supplanting the content of the book.
1.3. A winning book entices the reader to read the
contents carefully while admiring the way the book looks. If two or more
books are tied for the award, the one that offers a more innovative way to use
the elements of design is declared the winner.
2. Prescreening Committee
There
will be three (3) persons designated to prescreen all the nominated books in
the Design category, who shall be:
2.1 An NBDB-chosen design outfit/book designer - The
NBDB shall nominate one (1) person of competent expertise, who shall also be
the NBDB’s permanent judge for this category; and
2.2 Two members of the MCC- The MCC shall elect
two (2) members from its ranks to be part of the prescreening committee, who
shall be the same members of the prescreening committee in the other divisions.
The Prescreening Committee shall choose
no more than five (5) nominees by a majority vote to become finalists, which
titles shall be elevated to the BOJ for consideration.
The Board of Judges
1. Composition
Every year, each Division of the National
Book Awards shall be composed of a Board of Judges (BOJ). They are as follows:
Five (5) members of the Manila Critics
Circle (MCC) to be designated by the MCC, two of whom shall be members of the
Prescreening Committee of each division and in the design category; and
Five (5) judges nominated by the National
Book Development Board (NBDB), three (3) of whom shall be the NBDB-nominated
members of the Prescreening Committee for each language in the Literary
division, who shall also be designated as the NBDB’s permanent judge in the BOJ
for the Literary division, and one (1) designated as Prescreening Committee
member and NBDB’s permanent judge in the BOJ for the Non-Literary division. The
fifth judge shall be the NBDB’s category judge, who shall be the designated
expert in each category.
The
BOJ shall be chaired by the Chair of the NBDB, who shall vote only in case of a
tie. In case the Chair of the NBDB is not available, the Chair of the MCC shall
act as Chair of the BOJ and shall vote only in case of a tie, even if s/he is a
member of either the Prescreening Committee or the BOJ or both.
The MCC may designate among themselves
the MCC member of the BOJ for each category of both the literary and
non-literary divisions; however, the MCC-designated members of the Prescreening
Committee shall always be part of the BOJ for the particular divisions they
screened.
The NBDB reserves the right to nominate a
different judge for each category within any division, depending on the
expertise of the chosen judge, who may or may not be the same judge nominated
by the NBDB-chosen prescreening organization.
2. Voting
Each member of the BOJ, except for the
Chair when there is no tie, is entitled to one (1) vote. A vote must be
explained verbally during the voting process, taking into consideration factors
that determine the quality of the title. A title in all categories of both
divisions must be voted upon by the majority of the BOJ to win. All decisions
of the BOJ are final.
3. Meetings
Meetings of the BOJ shall be held at the
NBDB Conference Room or at any designated place agreed upon beforehand by the
members of the BOJ with the agreement of the NBDB.
Minutes of every meeting by the BOJ shall
be taken by a member of the NBDB Secretariat, who shall keep the minutes in a
confidential file within the premises of the NBDB.
4. Deadline for Winners
A winner for each category must be
determined by October 15, 2012. The winner of each category, except Publisher
of the Year, will receive a cash prize of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00),
which will be awarded to the author or book designer, as the case may be, and
not to the publisher. Citations, including the Special Critics’ Prize, do not
win cash prizes. The Special Critics’
Prize will be given by the Manila Critics Circle to books either not nominated
by their publishers or books published by publishers not registered with the
NBDB. In no case may the Special Critics’ Prize be given to books that were
nominated but were not chosen by either the Prescreening Committee or the BOJ
or both.
There will be Special Awards; such as Juan C. Laya Prize,
Alfonso T. Ongpin Prize, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Prize, and Isagani R. Cruz
Prize, which will be chosen from among the winners of the National Book
Awards.
Please address submissions
to:
The Executive Director
c/o the Accreditation and
Incentives Division
National Book Development
Board
2/F National Printing Office
Building
EDSA corner NIA Northside
Road
Diliman, Quezon City 1100
The deadline for submissions is on April 30, 2012.
Books mailed from outside Manila will be accepted if the copies and forms are postmarked
April 30, 2012.
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