We are thrilled to announce the longlist for 2024's Book Edit Writers' Prize, celebrating emerging voices in fiction from underrepresented communities across the UK.

For the second consecutive year, we've partnered with Legend Press to discover and showcase exceptional new talent. The Prize seeks to amplify voices from communities currently underrepresented in publishing, creating vital pathways into the industry for British and UK-based novelists who have yet to secure representation or publication.

The response to this year's competition has been fantastic, with a record-breaking number of submissions that showcase the incredible depth and diversity of storytelling talent across the country. Each entrant was asked to submit their novel's opening 1,000 words, accompanied by a synopsis and a personal statement about their writing journey.

The longlisted works span an impressive range of genres and styles, from contemporary literary fiction to historical epics. Each longlisted writer has demonstrated exceptional promise, crafting compelling narratives that deserve to be shared with a wider audience. Their stories not only showcase strong storytelling but also bring fresh voices to contemporary literature.

THE LONGLISTED WRITERS AND THEIR NOVELS ARE:

• After by David Gill

• Ah Couldnae Tell by Pip Penman

• An Apple a Day by Sarah Jones

• Blue Sky, Red Dust byAlexis Coward

• Call me Adebimpe by Susan Emina

• Cats Who Smoke by Nancy Edwards

• Crack the Donkey Christ by David McGrath

• Crash Test Doctors by Himmi Kari

• Dana Williams and the Funeral by - Vic Lendon

• Eve & Adam by Eloise Poulton

• Exposure Therapy by Sarah Collins

• Jonathan Strong by Michelle Wales

• Laowai by Josephine Jay

• Light at the End of the Cave by Bernie McQuillan

• Light Beyond the Mountains by Alka Handa

• Sweet Doing Nothing by Sasha Ellery

• Sycamore by Christine Cordon

• The Cocklemen by Mike Murray

• The Gorse in the Gloaming by Hannah Foster

• The Red Moon Trails by Nabin Chhetri

• The Sun Sets Twice by Nicola Godlieb

• The Vow by Maria Clark

• Wayne’s Night Out by Grayson Anderson

• Yoga Homicide by Emma Conally-Barklem

Next Steps

The shortlist will be announced next week, with the winners revealed just before our online showcase on November 20, 2024.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their work, and huge congratulations to all our longlisted writers.

For more information about the Prize and updates on our shortlist announcement, please follow us on social media or sign up to our mailing list.

The Book Edit Writers' Prize is committed to discovering and nurturing new literary talent from underrepresented communities, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive publishing landscape.