About the BMA book competition


October 2007 Introduction
The British Medical Association established an annual BMA Medical book competition in 1996 following a pilot competition in 1995. The competition aims to encourage and to reward excellence in medical publishing. The competition is administered by the BMA Library for the BMA's Board of Science. It is overseen by the BMA Librarian, and run by Richard Jones, the competition director and Clare Wade, the competition administrator.

The awards ceremony for the 2007 Competition was held on the evening of Wednesday 12 September at BMA House when Professor Sir Kenneth Calman presented the first prize awards as well as the special prizes.

The main objective is to encourage the production of high-quality medical books. Prizes are awarded in 26 categories, with an overall BMA Medical book of the year award made from the category winners.

Go to the list of categories here

Special prizes are awarded for the BMA Student Textbook award, the BMA Illustrated Book Award and the BMA Board of Science Award for the Public Understanding of Science. We have introduced a new special prize this year for books where all of the authors or editors are under 35 years. These special prizes are chosen from all of the shortlisted books: if you would like to be considered for one of these prizes then check the button on the entry form.

In addition, the BMA patient information award was established in 1997. This award is to recognise and to encourage the production and dissemination of accessible, good quality, accurate and evidence-based patient information leaflets which will promote greater awareness and understanding of health matters and support patients as active participants in their own care. Three separate prizes are also given for works aimed at young people, people with learning disabilities and electronic media/websites.

Go to information about the BMA patient information award here

The prize for BMA Medical journalist of the year is no longer given. This award ran for eleven years and was judged in conjunction with the BMA's press office.

Winners of this prize have been Celia Hall, medical editor of The Daily Telegraph (1995), Chris Mihill, medical correspondent of The Guardian (1996), Jeremy Laurance, health editor of The Independent (1997), Jenny Hope, health editor of the Daily Mail (1998), Jennifer Trueland, health correspondent of The Scotsman (1999), Jo Revill. former health correspondent of the London Evening Standard (2000), Richard Warry and the BBC Online Health team (2001), Nick Timmins of The Financial Times (2002), Sarah Boseley of The Guardian (2003), John Carvel of The Guardian (2004) and in its final year, Celia Hall of The Daily Telegraph.

Appraisal process
All entries are individually reviewed and appraised by doctors and educators who are interested in medical publishing. Reviewers are asked to consider accuracy, currency, originality, book production quality and whether the title meets the needs of its audience. We are usually able to give reviewers up to two months to review books which they can keep. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please apply using this online form.

These appraisals and the books themselves are then evaluated by panels of three or four, arriving at recommendations for a winner and highly commended awards in each category.

The final judging panel of BMA Chairman of Council, Board of Science Chairman, BMA President, head of the professional group and BMA Librarian meets to review the shortlisting panels' recommendations and to select the BMA Medical book of the year.

Preliminary reviewing takes place during February and March with the short listing panels meeting during May and June. Final judging usually takes place in July. Entrants are informed of the results after ratification by the BMA board of science.

Awards ceremony
The awards ceremony takes place at BMA House. At the ceremony the prizes are presented to the winning publishers and authors by our guest of honour who have included Sir Douglas Black, Jeremy Lee-Potter, Professor Sir Michael Rutter, Sir John Maddox, Professor Parveen Kumar, Professor Sir Keith Peters, Sir Graeme Catto, Mr James Johnson, Dame Barbara Clayton and Professor Sir Kenneth Calman.

Categories
Anaesthesia
all aspects of anaesthesia (including anaesthesia of specialties) and critical care (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Basic and clinical sciences
anatomy, basic pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, physiology, physical sciences

Basis of medicine
management, health services, politics, ethics, medico-legal, history of medicine, education, research, communication, medical informatics, audit, dictionaries, directories

Cardiology
all aspects of cardiology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Dermatology
all aspects of dermatology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Electronic media
items on any subject which are in non-printed format (eg cd-roms, floppy disks) but not websites only

Endocrinology
all aspects of endocrinology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

ENT
all aspects of ear, nose and throat medicine (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Gastroenterology
all aspects of gastroenterology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Haematology
all aspects of haematology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Health care for the elderly
all aspects of health care for the elderly (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Medicine
general medicine, alternative medicine, clinical pharmacology, diagnosis, general medicine, nutrition, palliative care, rehabilitation, therapeutics

Mental health
psychiatry, psychology, forensic medicine, substance misuse, mental health services

Neurology
all aspects of neurology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Obstetrics and gynaecology
all aspects of obstetrics and gynaecology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Oncology
all aspects of oncology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Ophthalmology
all aspects of ophthalmology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Orthopaedics and Rheumatology
all aspects of orthopaedics and rheumatology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Paediatrics
all aspects of paediatrics (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Pathology
all aspects of pathology

Popular medicine
books aimed at the general public on any health subject

Primary health care
general practice, community care, occupational health

Public health
public health, communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, epidemiology, social medicine, health promotion, ethnic health

Radiology
all aspects of radiology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Respiratory medicine
all aspects of respiratory medicine (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Surgery
general surgery (surgery of specialties should go with the specialty category), plastic surgery, A&E medicine (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Urology
all aspects of urology and nephrology (but books for the general public should go in the Popular medicine category)

Texts on nursing or dentistry will not be accepted. Serials are likewise not eligible for entry although annual updates will be considered.

Conditions of entry
  • The competition is open to all publishers of medical and health books except the BMA and BMJ Publishing Group.
  • All titles must have been published in 2007 or up to the closing date of the Competition (the end of January 2008).
  • Subsequent editions of titles which have won category first prizes cannot be entered again although new editions of titles which have been commended or highly commended can be entered.
  • All titles must be available in the United Kingdom.
  • All titles must be in English.
  • Titles must not contain a significant authorial or editorial contribution from a current member of BMA or BMJ staff.
  • A separate entry form must be completed for each title, including details of its intended readership and educational aims.
  • Entries may be entered into one category only. The organisers of the competition may reassign entries to more appropriate categories.
  • Two copies must be submitted of each title.
  • Entries are not returnable and may be added to the stock of the BMA library or sent to Book Aid International.
  • Publications must be sent to the BMA library at the entrant's expense. Recorded delivery is recommended. Items being sent from outside the UK should be sent by air mail and not air freight. These packages should be clearly marked Temporary Importation - Commercial Samples.
  • Awards are made by the Board of Science of the British Medical Association. The main criteria applied by the Board in making these awards are (in order of priority), that the content is current and accurate; that it is presented in a manner and at a level appropriate to the intended readership, and that the book is an attractive and durable production.
  • The decision of the board shall be final in all matters relating to the competition and no correspondence will be entered into relating to the board's decisions.
  • The publisher of each winning title and of any title that appears on each short list will receive a certificate and shall be entitled to use the competition result on all advertising and promotional activity. Additional certificates may be purchased from the BMA.
  • Two copies of and a completed entry form for each entry should reach the BMA library by no later than 31 January 2006.
  • Texts on nursing or dentistry will not be accepted. Serials are likewise not eligible for entry although annual updates will be considered.
How to enter
The closing date for the 2008 competition is 31 January 2008 for titles published between 1 January 2007 and the closing date. A completed entry form and two copies of each title must be submitted to:

Mrs Clare Wade
Competition administrator
BMA Medical Book Competition
BMA Library
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP

Tel: 020 7383 6639
Fax: 020 7388 2544
email: cwade@bma.org.uk

We encourage entrants to use our online entry form.

Further information on the competition may also obtained from the above address.

© British Medical Association 2008

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2008 book competition winners

  • The results of the competition were announced at a ceremony on 9 September. Full details of all first prize, highly commended, and commended submissions.

    Read more here