The annual award is presented for the best science fiction novel of the year, and selected from a list of novels whose UK first edition was published in the previous calendar year.

The winner will be announced at a public award ceremony held in partnership with Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross Road, on Wednesday 17th July 2019. The winner will be presented with a cheque for £2019.00 and the award itself, a commemorative engraved bookend.

The award was originally established by a generous grant from Sir Arthur C. Clarke with the aim of promoting science fiction in Britain, and is currently administered by the Serendip Foundation, a voluntary organisation created to oversee the on-going running and development of the award.

Members of the judging panel are nominated by supporting organisations, currently the British Science Fiction Association, the Science Fiction Foundation and the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival.