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Do you love writing, publishing, or sharing stories about the mountains? Do you have an exciting story, stunning photos, or unique insights about mountain people, nature, or adventures? The 2025 Mountain Book Competition is your chance to share your mountain-themed work with the world at one of the most famous mountain festivals.
Opportunity Details
The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival celebrates mountain literature and film, bringing together filmmakers, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, athletes, adventurers, and – of course – readers. Featuring film screenings, guest speakers, readings, seminars, and book signings, the Festival offers a wide spectrum of experiences for the mountain enthusiast. Other activities include the Banff Mountain Film Competition, Mountain Film Festival World Tour, the Mountain Photo Essay Competition, and Mountain Culture programs such as the Adventure Filmmakers Workshop and the Mountain Writers Intensive. The Festival takes place on the campus of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity each year in Banff Alberta, Canada. The 2025 festival will be held November 1 to 9.
MOUNTAIN BOOK COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Prizes will be awarded in each of the following categories. Please note that in all categories (apart from the Mountain Image category) only English editions are eligible for the award.
Adventure Travel – includes non-fiction books with a theme of travel to, and non-motorized exploration of, remote and/or rugged landscapes and their cultures.
Mountain Fiction & Poetry – includes fiction and poetry books with a focus on mountain topics. Creative narratives about climbing and mountaineering, exploration and the experiences and cultures of mountain people are accepted.
Mountain Literature – includes non-fiction books such as memoirs, biographies, and narratives on mountaineering, climbing history, mountain exploration, mountain people and culture, and human experiences of any kind in the mountains and in wilderness areas.
Environmental Literature – includes books that pertain to the environment, specifically related to flora, wildlife, conservation, and climate change. Scholastic research and academic papers/texts will not be accepted.
Guidebook – non-fiction books dealing with physical activities in mountain environments including hiking, climbing, mountaineering and “how-to” books.
Mountain Image – includes books with a primary focus on mountain images and with text in a complementary role. Images may include photographs or reproductions of artwork. *This category will be reviewed by our Photo Competition jury*
Mountain Article – includes articles or short form essays under 7,000 words with mountain themes including, but not limited to: climbing, adventure, conservation, and mountain literature. Articles may be fiction, historical or non-fiction narratives, and can be submitted by either an editor or author of the article. This category accepts articles that have been published in print or digitally.
Climbing Literature – will be awarded to the best long-listed book on mountaineering or climbing. Grand Prize - will be awarded to a book chosen from amongst the winners in the above categories.
REGULATIONS
1) First Editions - to be eligible for the 2025 Mountain Book Competition, entries must be first editions published in 2024 or 2025 (before July 31, 2025).
2) Each book entry must include five (5) finished copies of the book (or two (2) advance reading copies). These are necessary for the preview and judging process and will NOT be returned.
3) Each book entry should also be submitted with a pdf or digital format. If the file is too large, please e-mail [email protected]
4) New editions of previously published titles may be eligible if previous editions have not been entered in the competition in the past. Each title may be entered in the competition only once.
5) Entries for all categories may be submitted by authors or publishers. Please coordinate to avoid duplication.
6) Mountain Article – must be under 7,000 words and must be submitted as a PDF. Must have been published in 2024
or 2025. Scholastic, research, or scientific articles will not be accepted. Entries must be a standalone piece and
cannot be part of a collection of writing. Each author can submit two (2) articles.
7) Shipping, customs duties and taxes are the responsibility of the entrant. The use of retail values on international
shipments may generate duty and/or taxes; these will be charged back to the sender.
8) All works must be in English except those in the Mountain Image category, which may be in any language. A separate English
translation must be provided.
9) The entry form must be submitted online by July 3, 2025. Early submission is encouraged and appreciated.
10) Books or advanced reading copies must be received at the Festival office in Banff no later than July 3, 2025
11) Advance reading copies may be accepted as an interim entry for titles due to be published after July 3, 2025 (and before
July 31, 2025) and must be received by July 3, 2025. Final editions of books must be received by July 31, 2025.
12) Entries must be accompanied by a synopsis of a maximum of 60 words. Other promotional materials such as media
releases, reviews, etc., are welcome but are not a requirement.
13) Please email a high-resolution image file (TIFF preferred) of the book cover to: [email protected]
14) The competition organizers reserve the right to select the category most appropriate for a submission.
15) The competition organizers reserve the right to use excerpts from, and/or complete entries for promotional purposes.
16) The shortlist of category award winners eligible for the Grand Prize will be announced in October 2025.
17) The Grand Prize will be announced on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book
Festival and category awards will be presented to winning authors.
18) At the discretion of the competition organizers, winning authors and publishers may be notified in advance.
19) Decisions made by the jury will be final.
20) Posthumous works will not be accepted.
21) All eligible titles submitted may be displayed during the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.
22) Books written primarily for children and young adults are not suitable for this competition.
23) Books written by Banff Centre staff members or members of our current International jury will not be eligible for
consideration in the competition. Books written by past jury members may be considered in the following year
if published within the allowable dates.
24) The dispatch of any entry to the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations by the entrant.
25) Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has the right to sell copies of books entered to the competition to support Mountain Culture
programming at Banff Centre.
26) If for any reason you foresee difficulty in meeting these requirements, please contact the competition coordinator at:
[email protected]
ENTRIES FROM OUTSIDE CANADA
All entries shipped from OUTSIDE CANADA must include a completed Customs Form (or a Commercial Invoice) attached to the outside of the parcel. Please note that the declared value should be equivalent to the cost of materials only. Shipping, customs duty and taxes are the responsibility of the entrant.
By the deadline, they require the following:
Complete the Online Entry Form by July 3, 2025:
Prepare and ship your book entries to the following address:
Mountain Book Competition
c/o Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
PO Box 1020, Station 38
Banff, AB, Canada, T1L 1H5
Submit the required documents, including the synopsis and any promotional material.
Need Help? Call the Banff Mountain Book Competition at 403-762-6347
or email: [email protected]
Apply for Banff Mountain Book Competition