Republic of Consciousness Foundation finds new partner and rebrands as the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize
From 2026 the Republic of Consciousness is partnering with Queen Mary University, London to rebrand our Prize for Small Presses as the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize. For nine years, the Republic of Consciousness has pioneered an approach to book prizes, focussing on small presses for their conservation of bold and innovative literature, and awarding all titles on our long-list and short-list with money that’s split between authors, translators and their publishers. Now in our tenth year of bolstering fiction from the UK and Republic of Ireland, we’ve secured a new partner and the next step of our future with Queen Mary University. Their shared commitment to nurturing fiction from the margins - having already sponsored the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize - makes it a perfect partner for us as we rebrand and further our support of small presses.
If you are from a small press and are interested in submitting a fiction title to our prize, please see the prize submission guidelines in the menu above. The entry dates and judges for the 2026 prize will be announced soon.
The 2025 winner of Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses
Who are we?
The Republic of Consciousness Foundation supports, promotes and celebrates small presses in the UK and Ireland. Over nine years, the prize has awarded over £120,000 to publishers and authors.
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Book of the Month
We run a monthly Book of the Month subscription to raise funds for the prize, with books generously donated by a different small press every month. It’s a truly eclectic, high-quality list, and a great taste of what the small press scene is producing.
click here to see our 12 titles for 2024
We’re passionate about the small press community. That’s why we run this book club for interested readers, with books donated generously by the publishers themselves. While we rely on funding from our sponsors for the prize’s life and longevity, we are grateful for the additional support of our book club members. Subscribers are integral to our success and that of our beloved small presses - regular income allows us to guarantee and grow the prize every year.
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