Bracken Bower Prize

2016 Entry Form

Bracken Bower Prize
© FT
ENTRY GUIDELINES

Fomat

● no longer than 5000 words

● essay article with the argument, scope and style of the proposed book

● a description of the finished work’s structure

● for example: a list of chapter headings with a short bullet-point description of each chapter

Content

● tackle emerging business themes

● identify and analyse the trends of the future in business, economics, finance or management

● focus on the challenges and opportunities of growth

● examine pressing business challenges in original ways

Author

● must be under 35 on November 22 2016

● can be a published author

● the proposal itself must be original, not previously submitted to a publisher

● submit a biography

● co-authored submissions are welcomed

Register your interest in the 2016 prize to receive updates and information on how to submit an entry.

Email: brackenbower@ft.com

The Financial Times and McKinsey & Company, organisers of the Business Book of the Year Award, want to encourage young authors to tackle emerging business themes. They hope to unearth new talent and encourage writers to research ideas that could fill future business books of the year. A prize of £15,000 will be given for the best book proposal.

The Bracken Bower Prize is named after Brendan Bracken who was chairman of the FT from 1945 to 1958 and Marvin Bower, managing director of McKinsey from 1950 to 1967, who were instrumental in laying the foundations for the present day success of the two institutions. This prize honours their legacy but also opens a new chapter by encouraging young writers and researchers to identify and analyse the business trends of the future.

The prize will be awarded to the best proposal for a book about the challenges and opportunities of growth. The main theme of the proposed work should be forward-looking. In the spirit of the Business Book of the Year, the proposed book should aim to provide a compelling and enjoyable insight into future trends in business, economics, finance or management. The judges will favour authors who write with knowledge, creativity, originality and style and whose proposed books promise to break new ground, or examine pressing business challenges in original ways.

Only writers who are under 35 on November 22 2016 (the day the prize will be awarded) are eligible. They can be a published author, but the proposal itself must be original and must not have been previously submitted to a publisher.

The proposal should be no longer than 5,000 words – an essay or an article that conveys the argument, scope and style of the proposed book – and must include a description of how the finished work would be structured, for example, a list of chapter headings and a short bullet-point description of each chapter. In addition entrants should submit a biography, emphasising why they are qualified to write a book on this topic. The best proposals will be published on FT.com. Co-authored entries are welcome.

The organisers cannot guarantee publication of any book by the winners or runners-up. The finalists will be invited to the November 22 dinner where the Bracken Bower Prize will be awarded alongside the Business Book of the Year Award, in front of an audience of publishers, agents, authors and business figures. Once the finalists’ entries appear on FT.com, authors will be free to solicit or accept offers from publishers.

Bracken Bower Prize - Previous Years:

2015 Prize

Failure risk pitch wins FT-McKinsey award

2014 Prize

Bracken Bower winner Saadia Zahidi snags book deal

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