ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

James Tait Black Memorial Prize

Okay, so there's this thing called the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. It's kind of like a special award or prize that people who write really good books can win.

Now, to win the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, a book has to be really, really good. It has to be written in English (that's a language that we speak in a lot of different countries), and it can be about anything - history, stories, places, people, all kinds of things!

Every year, a group of really smart grown-ups called judges read a whole bunch of books, and they try to decide which one is the best. It's kind of like when you have a bunch of toys, but you have to pick your favorite one. The judges want to find the book that they like the most and that they think other people will like too.

If they find a book that they really love, they tell everybody about it and they give the author a special prize. The author feels really happy and proud that all their hard work is being recognized, and lots of other people read the book too because they want to see why it's so special.

So, basically, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize is a way to celebrate really great books and make sure everyone knows about them.