The Harptree Literary Escape Prize

Stories carry us across borders. The Harptree Literary Escape Prize invites one reader each year to complete that journey in real life.

Created by Harptree Books, the prize celebrates the enduring relationship between storytelling and the landscapes that shape human experience.

Each year, one reader will win a short stay in the Seychelles — a place that quietly threads through the author’s life and work.

Bel Ombre, Mahé, Seychelles — the setting of the Harptree Literary Escape Prize.

Prize at a Glance

Prize

Five-night stay at
Mezon Orkid
Glacis, Mahé
Seychelles

Mezon Orkid, Glacis, Mahé Seychelles

Enter the Harptree Literary Escape Prize

Please complete the form below to submit your entry (300–800 words).

The Prize

The winner will receive five nights’ accommodation on a room-only basis at Mezon Orkid, a family-run property located in the coastal district of Glacis on the north-west coast of Mahé in the Seychelles.

Flights, transfers, meals, insurance, visas and personal expenses are not included.

Winners may extend their stay at their own expense, subject to availability.

How to Enter

Entering the Harptree Literary Escape Prize is simple.

Participants are invited to submit a short written reflection inspired by a book published by Harptree Books.

Your response should be between 300 and 800 words and written in English or French.

You may respond to one of the following prompts:

1. Which Harptree Books title has stayed with you the most, and why?

2. Describe a place featured in a Harptree Books title that has stayed with you and explain why it resonates with you.

3. If one of the Harptree Books titles could take you anywhere in the world, where would it lead you — and what would you hope to discover there?

Entries must be submitted using the online entry form below before 31 January 2027.

Entries must be original and previously unpublished.

The winner will be announced in March 2027.

Selection

Entries will be evaluated on the basis of insight and originality, the depth of engagement with the text, the clarity and quality of writing, and the sensitivity shown to themes of place and human experience.

The decision of the judges is final.

The organisers reserve the right not to award the prize if no entry is deemed to be of sufficient quality. A shortlist may be announced prior to the final decision.

Why the Seychelles?

The Seychelles occupy a quiet but meaningful place in the story behind Harptree Books. For the author and founder of Harptree, the islands form part of a wider personal journey that connects places, cultures and experiences across continents. They are a reminder that landscapes often shape the way we see the world — and the way we tell stories about it. The Harptree Literary Escape Prize celebrates that connection between story and place.

Each year, the prize offers one reader the opportunity to step beyond the page and experience a place that embodies the spirit of literary escape: the Seychelles — a setting where ocean, landscape and reflection meet In that sense, the prize is not simply about winning a stay. It is about completing, in real life, a journey that begins in books.

Terms & Conditions

Official Rules — The Harptree Literary Escape Prize

1. Promoter

The Harptree Literary Escape Prize is organised by Éditions Harptree Books.

2. Eligibility

The competition is open worldwide to individuals aged 18 years or over at the time of entry.

Employees, collaborators, agents, suppliers, and immediate family members or close associates of the author or publisher are not eligible to enter.

3. Entry Requirements

To enter the competition, participants must:

• Read a Harptree Books title
• Submit a written reflection of between 300 and 800 words responding to one of the official prompts
• Complete and submit the official online entry form before the closing date

Entries must be original, written by the entrant, and previously unpublished.

Only one entry per person per year is permitted.

4. Prize

The prize consists of:

Five (5) consecutive nights’ accommodation for two people sharing, on a room-only basis at Mezon Orkid, Glacis, Mahé, Seychelles.

The following are not included:

• Flights
• Airport transfers
• Meals and beverages
• Travel insurance
• Visas or travel authorisation
• Personal expenses
• Taxes, if applicable

The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any alternative prize.

5. Travel Conditions

The stay at Mezon Orkid is subject to the following conditions:

• Stay dates are subject to availability
• Certain blackout periods may apply
• The winner is responsible for all travel arrangements and associated costs
• The winner must hold valid travel documentation and travel authorisation required for entry to the Seychelles