The Art of Eating Prize

The Art of Eating Prize

The Art of Eating Prize is awarded annually to the author of the year’s best book about food (or food and drink together). Where other food book awards involve nominations in diverse categories, The Art of Eating Prize focuses on a single best book. The founders of the prize, by rewarding the highest quality work, hope to encourage the excellence of food writing in general. The prize is worth $10,000.

The book must be aimed at a broad audience and must have been published in English in the United States in the calendar year preceding the awarding of the prize (for the 2023 prize, books must have been published in 2022). The winner is decided by a panel of judges drawn from varied realms connected with food and drink. The seven judges are all writers and among their books are several best-sellers.

To be considered for the prize, books are nominated by their publishers; each imprint may nominate up to three books. There is no charge for nominating a book. Although self-publishers may not nominate their own books, up to two self-published books are nominated by each of three independent bookstores specialized in food — Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York City, The Book Larder in Seattle, and Omnivore Books in San Francisco.

Each judge, after all the other nominations are in, may nominate two books. Approaching a judge directly about the prize in order to apply pressure on behalf of a particular book may cause it to be withdrawn from consideration.

The nomination date for the 2024 prize will be announced in the fall.