A team of readers will judge books in relation to the contribution they make to current debates in the field, as well as in terms of their ability to reach both scholarly audiences and a wider readership.  
 
The prize recognizes ingenuity, innovation, and scholarship in the academic study of crime fiction and crime writing in its widest sense. In response to these criteria, the judges first make a short list, followed by a determination of the winner. 
 
Books on the short list will be announced and described at the annual conference and will be included in the award page of the IFCA website with comments from the judges. Presses and/or authors are free to use these comments in marketing or publicizing their works.  

Submission

​The competition is open to any monograph or edited collection published in 2020 on the academic study of crime fiction and crime writing in its broadest sense. Please note that crime fiction is not eligible for the competition.

For more information, or to nominate a book please contact the Coordinator of the Book Prize, Linda Ledford-Miller at linda.ledford.miller@gmail.com. Appropriate entries will need to be mailed to the three judges, based in the U.K., the U.S., and Germany. Addresses provided upon request.