The category judges for the 2021 East Anglian Book Awards have been announced ahead of this year’s submission deadline on Friday, July 30

Local writer and broadcaster Pete Goodrum, UEA associate professor in American Studies Hilary Emmett and Nathan Hamilton, managing director/editor of UEA publishing project, are among those who will oversee the submissions for the coveted awards, which celebrate the outstanding literary culture of our region.

The full list of category judges is:

History & Tradition – Pete Goodrum, writer and broadcaster

The Mal Peet Children’s Award – Simon Jones, National Centre for Writing, with assistance from his eight-year-old son

Biography and Memoir – Hilary Emmett, University of East Anglia

General Non-Fiction – Richard Delahaye, University of East Anglia

Fiction – Kate Weston, University of East Anglia

Poetry – Nathan Hamilton, UEA Publishing Project

Norwich Evening News: Simon Jones who is judging the Mal Peet Children's Award category, with help from his eight-year-old sonSimon Jones who is judging the Mal Peet Children's Award category, with help from his eight-year-old son (Image: National Centre for Writing)

Pete Goodrum, author of Jarrold 250 Years: A History, said: "I’m thrilled at being asked to be a judge for the East Anglian Book Awards, and particularly so to be judge in the History and Tradition category.

"Researching and writing my own books has been a revelatory journey of self-learning and sharing knowledge about our wonderful region’s fantastic history is something very close to my heart.

"I’m really excited by the prospect of reading new writing and books on our history and tradition.

"We have such a literary heritage, and so many talented writers, in East Anglia, I have a feeling that the judging process will be a great pleasure as well as a huge challenge."

There is still time for writers and publishers with books that are set in the area or are written by an author living in the region, to submit to the 2021 awards.

Norwich Evening News: The East Anglian Book Awards celebrate the region's literary talentThe East Anglian Book Awards celebrate the region's literary talent (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

For the purposes of the awards, East Anglia is defined as Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the area of Fenland District Council.

Works must have been published for the first time between July 25, 2020 and July 30, 2021 and must have been commercially available in physical bookshops.

Due to Covid-19, books must be submitted digitally in PDF, EPUB and MOBI format.

Full terms and conditions can be found on the National Centre for Writing website nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/east-anglian-book-awards

Now in their 14th year, the East Anglian Book Awards recognise the books and writers who have been shaped by, and have helped to shape, the culture of the East of England.

Last year’s winner of East Anglian Book of the Year was A.M. Howell for her children’s book, The House of One Hundred Clocks (Usborne).

Howell said: "Winning the East Anglian Book of the Year Award for The House of One Hundred Clocks is the absolute highlight of my writing career so far - to have my writing recognised in this way has been truly awe inspiring.

"Through the awards process I have met some wonderful people who have championed my book for which I’m hugely grateful, and I would encourage anyone thinking of applying to not hesitate and get an application in at once!"

Since the awards began, they have highlighted the work of over 150 authors, 200 titles and 100 publishers.

Previous winners include multi-award-winning author and naturalist Mark Cocker, and Sarah Perry, who went on to win the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and whose novel The Essex Serpent became a Waterstones Book of the Year.

The award partners are the Norwich-based National Centre for Writing, the University of East Anglia, Jarrold and the Eastern Daily Press.

They are supported by the PACCAR Foundation.

The winner of this year’s awards will be announced at a ceremony in November.