1928 -- The Club of Czech Bibliophiles organizes the first contest for the finest book (1928-1940).
1959 -- The Czech Committee for Literary Culture builds upon this tradition with a similar contest (1959-1963).
1965 -- The contest is made a nation-wide event, organized by the Centers of Czech and Slovak Literary Culture and chaired by the PNP (issue of the catalogue, organization of exhibitions of award-winning books). Until 1992, the hosts of the event are the Ministry of Culture and the PNP on the Czech side, and the Slovak Center of Literary Culture and "Matice slovenská" on the Slovak side. These institutions take regular turns regarding organizational duties and regarding the position of chairperson of the jury.
1968 -- For the first time, the PNP awards the Arne Sáňka Prize, named for the famous collector and bibliophile (1892- 1966) and designed for students of secondary art schools and art colleges.
1993 -- The contest for the most beautiful Czech book comes into existence under re-defined political, economical, and cultural conditions, having undergone a complex development (that involved a change of the statutes, of the rules of procedure, of the system of awarding categories, of the selection criteria for the set of finest books, of the kind and number of awarded prizes etc.). The hosts of the contest are the Czech Ministry of Culture and the PNP.
1995 -- The Association of Polygraphic Business joins the hosts and awards a prize designed for print shops in recognition of the quality of polygraphic design. In 1995 und 1996, the winners are announced, and the exhibition takes place, on the premises of the Prague Expo Grounds in Prague 7, on occasion of the World of Books Fair.
1997 -- The contest takes a new direction, as the hosts decide to award the ministerial prize directly to the publishing houses that carry full responsibility, and take full credit, for the level of the published product in terms of content and form. Books are now evaluated in seven categories, with one prize going to the winner in each category. The prize is awarded each year on April 23, the World Book and Copyright Day.
1998 -- The hosts are joined by the citizens' association Typo Design Club, who awards a prize for outstanding graphic design.
1999 -- The hosts are joined by SČUG Hollar, who awards a prize for the best set of illustrations.
2003 -- Government Decree No. 5/2003, on prizes awarded by the Ministry of Culture in the area of culture, is issued on December 16, 2002. The prize for the most beautiful book of the year is issued in recognition of a non-periodical publication as a technological product and a functional artifact unprecedented in its polygraphic and artistic form (Section 17 (1)).
2006 -- Government Decree No. 98/2006, on prizes awarded by the Ministry of Culture in the area of culture, issued on March 8, 2006, reduces the number of categories of contest to six. The prize now consists of a diploma and a financial award in the amount of CZK 50'000.
