Submissions for the 2026 Prize are now closed and winners will be announced by 1 September 2026.
2026 Submissions
The World's Leading Prize honouring original contributions to the field of bibliography and book history
The ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography is sponsored by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers with the generous support of the B. H. Breslauer Foundation. The 19th edition of the prize will be awarded in 2026.
Authors, publishers, academics, scholars, and the book trade are invited to submit works published between 2022 and 2026 for the ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography!
The prize is awarded every four years, with a first prize of US$10,000 and second and third prizes of US$5,000 and US$3,000 respectively. In addition to the prize, the judges may, at their discretion, award Honourable Mentions to other deserving entries.
Additional prizes of US$1000 for submissions from an Asian, African, and Central & South American publisher
For the 2026 Prize three additional awards of US$1000 each will be offered for a submission from an Asian, African, and Central & South American publisher or author in the field of bibliography, or book related history. These special awards are meant to encourage authors from these underrepresented regions to participate in the Prize thus helping ILAB to expand its mission of creating a worldwide network for booksellers, book collectors, librarians, and bibliographers.
ILAB would like to thank rare booksellers Asia Bookroom, Peter Harrington, Scott DeWolfe and Charles Kutcher for sponsoring these additional prizes.
Please do not hesitate to contact our Prize Secretary, Mr Daniel De Simone, or any member of the jury if you have any questions.
Only one copy is required for the submission.
Please note that submissions are now closed for the 2026 Prize and winners will be announced by 1st September 2026.
99 for 2022!
The 18th edition of the prize was awarded on 14 September 2022 at the Bodleian Library, Oxford.
99 outstanding publications were submitted for the 18th ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography, a record number and a testimony to the active field of bibliography, book history and research.
Please take a look at the Submissions 2022 site above and view the wide range of subjects and languages that were on display.
Winners 2022
1st Prize:
Jack Baldwin, A Catalogue of Fifteenth-Century Printed Books in Glasgow Libraries and Museums, 2 vols (Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2020).
>> “A wonderful celebration of some sixty years working with books”
For more information about the 2022 prize and winners, please click HERE
2nd Prize:
Ernst Fischer; Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels – Historische Kommission, ed.: Geschichte des deutschen Buchhandels im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert Band 3 Drittes Reich und Exil. Teil 3: Exilbuchhandel 1933–1945 / 1; Teil 3: Exilbuchhandel 1933–1945 / 2; Teil 3: Exilbuchhandel / Supplement, 3 vols (Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter, 2020–21).
3rd Prize:
Renaud Adam, Vivre et imprimer dans les Pays- Bas Méridionaux (Des Origines à la réforme), 2 vols (Turnhout: Brepols, 2018).
Honourable Mention
Frank Romano (with Miranda Mitrano), History of Desktop Publishing (New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2019).
