Brazilian writers, with unpublished works in the first edition, written in Portuguese and published by publishers in the country - between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026 - can now apply for the 2026 National Library Literary Award. Registration began this Monday (8) and remains open until July 8 at this online address. Related news: Rio: exhibition about Iemanjá occupies the State Park Library until the 15th. When Angry Butterflies Become Black Women: Us and Books. Journey to the past: dinosaurs reveal the history of Earth to children. According to the National Library Foundation (FBN), linked to the Ministry of Culture (MinC), and promoter of the award, the competition is also aimed at independent authors, as long as the work is in legal deposit and has the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) printed on it. Each winner of the 13 categories will receive R$30,000. The novelty of this edition is the João do Rio Prize, a category dedicated to chronicle books. Categories Awarded annually since 1994, the National Library Literary Award aims to recognize the intellectual quality of works published in Brazil. The competition is considered one of the most respected in the country and the most democratic on the national scene, as it has no registration fee and awards the same prize value for each of the 13 categories. They are: Short story (Clarice Lispector Award); Chronicle (João do Rio Award); Literary Essay (Mario de Andrade Prize); Social Essay (Sérgio Buarque de Holanda Prize); Oral tradition stories (Akuli Prize); Comic books (Adolfo Aizen Award); Illustration (Carybé Award); Children's Literature (Sylvia Orthof Prize); Youth Literature (Glória Pondé Award); Poetry (Alphonsus de Guimaraens Prize); Graphic Design (Aloísio Magalhães Award); Novel (Machado de Assis Prize); Translation (Paulo Rónai Prize). Thirteen judging panels, one per category and made up of three experts in the field, will evaluate the works entered. Originality, contribution to national culture, creativity in the use of graphic resources and translation excellence are the criteria that will be considered. The final result will be published by October 30th in the Official Gazette of the Union and on the National Library Foundation portal, after analysis of resources and approval of the result by the FBN presidency.