Apply for the Nordic PhotoBook Award, a prize to support photography publishing into the future!

Fotogalleriet relaunches the Nordic PhotoBook Award in a renewed format to support novel, radical, and cutting-edge approaches to the photobook format that rethinks the need for publishing today. The prize aims to support the production of a fully-fledged book that takes a radical approach in this critical historical time. 

Submissions are accepted from professionals based on the Norwegian territory, Norwegian citizens, or practitioners connected to Norwegian and Sámi artists and photographers. We don’t expect an entirely conceived dummy for a photobook but a project proposal for a book of photography that is advanced enough to discuss with a publisher the book publication, and some of its material. We welcome submissions that argue for the need to publish a book in multiples of 250, 500, 1,000, or more (depending on the project and within the scope of the production budget) and the need for its relevance today. We prioritize the proposal concerning material that has already been collected for book publication, digitized or adequately archived, and ready for publication. The material may have been produced during the last year, a decade, or several decades back, but for different reasons, it never found publication. We look at the concept of the new as something that may not have seen appreciation or a proper understanding in its time and awaits publication due to its relevance today.

The value of the prize consists of kr 200,000 (approx. 17,000 € or 18,000 $), which will be channeled toward the production, distribution, and promotion of the work. The award is open to professionals using photography, proposing the book publishing as a form and a project that has not been published before. In exceptional cases, and given proper argumentation, the jury will consider proposals for books that have previously been printed but need to find a new publication. The jury will pay special attention to content-driven, experimental, and innovative editorial recommendations.

The deadline for applications is 1 January 2024. A jury constituted of international and local experts will select the shortlisted projects and designate a winner. The selected proposals may be exhibited as part of the official award procedures in consultation with the applicant.

The awarded project will find publication through SPBH Editions.

Production 
The production grant is intended exclusively for the production of the awarded project. SPBH Editions will ensure the finalization of the book project.

Terms of Participation
The award is open to all professionals submitting a proposal involving a Norway-based artist, and Norwegian citizens.

The submission can be individual or collective.

The project must not be under contract to any publisher.

The project should delineate the projected results regarding the book’s desired format, pages, and general vision. The project submitted must include close information on the status of the available material (in terms of digitalization, itemization, copyrights, and any other relevant details foreseeing the different steps of a book project close to publication); the applicant should also delineate as part of the proposal technical challenges or other matters of relevance toward the production/inclusion of the material in a book form.

Book dummies are accepted but not prioritized as the only form for selection.

The project must be financially feasible within the production budget allocated by the award and may be modified according to discussions with the publisher.

Means of submission
Participation in the Nordic PhotoBook Award is free. The applicant must send the project proposal in a single PDF no larger than 10 megabytes to npba@fotogalleriet.no with the subject line “Submission Nordic Photobook Award.” The PDF file shall include a motivation letter to present the proposal for the book; a summary of the book; an index or chapters or sections or parts of the foreseen book; samples of the images for the book (at least 10); ideas for the layout of the book can be sketched or presented in any form which may give an overview of the intended project; if there are desired/agreed/possible textual contributions foreseen for the book, these should be listed and a short bio of the contributors sketched; a full CV of the photographer/artist and, if different from the artist, a biography of the applicant. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications shall be completed in English. Before the jury review or immediately following, the Fotogalleriet Foundation may approach the applicant to ask for additional material if needed for a full review of the application.

Timeline

Application is open from 9 October to 1 January 2024 (included).

The jury meeting and deliberation will happen in late January 2024.

Production of the winning project will commence in Spring 2024.

The official launch of the winning project will start in Autumn 2024.

Rights 
Applicants for the prize declare that they hold all rights to the content of the proposed project (texts, images, graphics) and guarantee the peaceful use of these elements or have a solid and sound plan for a book publication. In exceptional cases, the jury will consider proposals where negotiations seem feasible when the applicant is closely related to the artist/photographer and others involved in the publication if the applicant is different from the artist/photographer.

Selected applicants and artists authorize Fotogalleriet, SPBH Editions and its partners to use their work for promotion.

Only complete files and submissions received within the deadline will be considered.

Physical submissions directly linked to the online submission should be mentioned and identified in the PDF file main application form. Custom fees must be paid in advance to ensure the receipt of the physical file. Please ensure that you comply with the tariffs of the country from which you are sending your file. Only the dummies from Norwegian territory can be returned by post, provided a stamped return envelope with the artist’s (or applicant if different from the artist’s) address is included.

PDF file for submission and application form
For each project submitted, please fill in the body of the email the following information:

First name

Last name

Address

Country of residence

Telephone no.

Descriptions
Project title
Project description (500 words)
Biography of the applicant (500 words)
Are there physical submissions connected to the PDF file? YES/NO

Address for receiving physical material:

Fotogalleriet
Møllergata 34
N-0179 Oslo

The Nordic PhotoBook Award. Design: David Robayo, 34 studio, Paris