The author must be female and must be a descendant of, rooted in, a speaker of a language of, or hold nationality or permanent residency in an ASEAN member country or the China regions, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The author must be alive throughout the entire judging process.

Authors may submit or resubmit literary works, provided that the work has never been selected as a Shortlist title, Country Award or Grand Prize title in any previous Chommanard International Award.

Works previously included in the Longlist, or works previously deemed eligible for judging but not selected for the Shortlist or Grand Prize, may be resubmitted.

Previous Shortlist Award or Country Award recipients may submit entries in subsequent years, provided that the submitted work is not the same title that previously received the Shortlist Award or Country Award.

Grand Prize recipients may submit new works or other eligible works in subsequent years, provided that the submitted work is not the same title that previously received the Grand Prize.

The submission must be a fiction novel (no minimum or maximum word count), originally written in any national language and must be published in English, either as an original work or in translation, between 2020 and 2026.

The work must be original and must not be plagiarized, AI-generated, or based on pre-existing content. A signed letter of originality is required.

The book must be published by an established imprint based in the Asia-Pacific region or in English-speaking countries. An “established imprint” refers to a legally registered publishing company that has a proven track record of publishing works by multiple authors. It must operate with professional editorial standards, assign ISBNs, and make titles available through recognized retail or distribution channels.

All rights remain with the author throughout the judging process.

Any disputes involving the translator are the responsibility of the author.