We are delighted to announce that The Saltires: Scotland’s National Book Awards 2026 are open for entries for research titles published between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026.

The Saltires Research Book of the Year category is open to scholarly books which are the result of rigorous research into any aspect of Scotland’s life and culture, including (but not limited to) historical, scientific, social and literary studies. Entries may be monographs, edited collections or scholarly editions, and must feature a full index and bibliography. Titles must be first published in a print edition.

This category does not, unlike the trade categories, include a separate debut award. In 2026 Bruce Peter won with Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age (Historic Environment Scotland).

If you are a publisher and have a title (or titles) you would like to enter, please do so now. There is a Prize rules and Submission guidelines document at the top of this page with detailed information on eligibility criteria, fees and how to enter. Entries open on Wednesday 8 July 2026. Deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday 19 July 2026. Thank you.