The Rencontres d’Arles Book Awards were created to support the publishing of photography books, a swiftly growing domain, and to help these publications reach a broader public. There are three categories of awards: Authors’ Books, Historical Books, and Photo-Text Books. The Fondation Jan Michalski pour l’écriture et la littérature backs and encourages the last one, which celebrates the relationship between words and images. Each award comes with a €6,000 prize and singles out the best photography book in its category published in the last twelve months.
A pre-jury and a jury of photography experts choose the shortlisted works and the winners. Each book pre- selected is deposited in the library of the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie in Arles and exhibited throughout the festival period.

In 2023, the festival received more than 700 works worldwide, 139 of which were shortlisted and exhibited.