Since 1965, the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal has promoted excellence in literary creation. It also highlights Montréal’s thriving publishing scene while raising public awareness of Québec literature by recognizing a newly published work of exceptional quality and originality.
 
The award honors authors and outstanding works published in Québec and actively promotes their distribution.
 
The Grand Prix du livre de Montréal is awarded annually in the fall.

The city offers a cash prize of $15,000 to the author or co-authors of a work published in French or English for its exceptional quality and originality. The remaining four finalists receive a cash prize of $1,000.

All the books named as finalists are acquired and made available in the city’s 46 libraries, with at least one copy of each title held in every library. All the titles in the jury’s selection are included in the collections held in Montréal libraries. When available, audio, digital and digital audio versions of the works are acquired.

The Grand Prix du livre de Montréal produces and provides promotional materials to publishers, bookstores and libraries to showcase the works recognized by the award.

Events promoting the books and finalists may be staged before the presentation of the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal.

By agreeing to their books being included in the jury’s selection list, authors and publishers undertake to make every effort to participate in and prepare for the ceremony and promotional activities.

This award recognizes literary excellence. Only books that publishers consider exceptional in the category should be submitted.

Each publisher can submit a maximum of 6 books. Publishing houses and companies that comprise several different publishers can submit up to 6 titles for each publisher (imprints). Excess submissions will be automatically excluded and only the first 6 will be considered.

Submissions must fall under one of the following categories: novel, essay, short stories, narrative, poetry, theatre, picture books, comics, and hybrid (poetic narrative, poem-essay, etc.).

To be submitted, a book must:

• Be published for the first time and available on the Québec market between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026
• Be published in French or English
• Be written by a Montréal-based author or published by a Montréal-based publisher
• Be published by a professional publisher whose services are not paid for in whole or in part by the author
• Have an international standard book number (ISBN)
• Be submitted by the deadline

Collections of poetry, short stories and essays containing less than 50% of texts or fragments already published in journals or in book format are eligible.

The following types of works are excluded:

• Books created, in whole or in part, through generative artificial intelligence systems (texts and/or illustrations)
• Works for young readers
• Young Adult books
• Anthologies
• Catalogs
• Inventories
• Scientific treatises
• Studies
• Manuals
• Technical books
• Popular science books
• Books on popular psychology or personal development
• Cookbooks
• Non-literary essays
• Non-literary biographies
• Coffee-table books or art books (photography, art, architecture, etc.) without a literary dimension
• Works of no literary value
• Co-creations by more than two people
• Posthumous publications
• Ghostwritten books
• Works whose author, or whose author’s immediate family, is a member of the jury or of the team administering the award
• Translations
• Reprints or reissues
• Self-publishing and vanity publishing
• Publications in formats other than print

The city reserves the right to decide on any eligibility issues and its decision is final.

The jury members represent various publishing sectors and Montréal’s contemporary intellectual and literary currents. The jury is chaired by a cultural figure appointed to a three-year term by Montréal’s Service de la Culture. The jury chair does not have a vote.

In addition to the chairperson, the city selects the jury members. One-third of the jury is renewed annually. Members may not sit on the jury for more than three consecutive years or more than five times in any 10-year period. Gender equity and diversity goals are prioritized when the jury is renewed.

Jury members pledge not to sit on the board of directors, executive committee, review board or editorial committee of any publisher. In addition, they may not be Montréal public servants.

All books eligible for the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal are submitted to the jury and distributed equally among the jury members, in reading pairs ramdomly chosen. Consequently, all books are read by at least two members, who come up with a pre-selection.

All works pre-selected by the jury move on to the second round and must be read by all jury members. These works are then discussed and debated, and the jury agrees on a selection of 10 of the most noteworthy titles. In case of a disagreement, an individual secret ballot may be cast.

The jury then debates further and proceeds to a secret individual ballot to determine the finalists and winner. The book with the highest score is declared the winner, and the books with the four subsequent highest scores are named finalists. The jury’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.

• February 27, 2026
  • for books published between June 1, 2025, and November 30, 2025;
• May 31, 2026
  • for books published between December 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.

Publishers wishing to submit an eligible book must, by the submission deadlines:

• register the book via the online submission form.
• without delay, send 7 printed copies to the following address (all the information below, including the phone number, must appear on the package):

Grand Prix du livre de Montréal
Émilie Labrosse
Direction des Bibliothèques, Service de la culture
Ville de Montréal
801 Brennan Street, 5th floor, Prince Pavilion
Montréal, Québec H3C 0G4
514 872-2918
 
Incomplete or late submissions, submissions with any required item received after the deadline, and submissions made outside the eligible submission periods will not be considered. It is the publisher’s responsibility to ensure that packages are delivered to the provided address. 

We cannot guarantee that packages left at the post office or at any address other than the one indicated above will be received on time, so we suggest that you choose another delivery method. We do not accept deliveries for which costs (customs duties, taxes, etc.) are required.
 
All books submitted will remain the property of the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal and will not be returned.

All required materials must be received no later than:

• February 27, 2026, for books published between June 1, 2025, and November 30, 2025;
• May 31, 2026, for books published between December 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.

Fall 2026

Learn more about the last edition.

• Grand Prix du livre de Montréal: 2025 edition

Discover the award winners who have been honored over the years.