With just a few days left to submit to the Book Edit Writers’ Prize, we wanted to highlight one of last year’s winners, British-Lebanese writer Emily Abdeni-Holman, to encourage you to submit your work.

Emily’s poetry collection, Body Tectonic, was published by Broken Sleep Books this summer. She has also contributed her poem, Where We Find Ourselves, to the Arachne Press’ Global Majority anthology.

Emily said, ‘Winning the Book Edit Writers’ Prize was a real affirmation that Tapha (now At the Pine House) was interesting to others and might be able to make it as a book and not just my own project. It was wonderful to meet other writers: we’re still in touch and sharing updates. I feel invested in my cohort as well as trying to take my own work forward, and that was definitely also down to Rebekah and Emily’s encouragement of all of us and enthusiasm about our writing. I think the prize opens something that continues; it isn’t just a one-off event. It’s easy with writing (for me at least) to sit on a project for years on end and not propel it out into the world, and the Book Edit Writers’ Prize has been important in invigorating me to believe in the possible wider resonance of my work. So, I’m very thankful and will definitely be following this year’s Prize.’

We’re super proud of all our longlisted, shortlisted and winning writers and we hope this has inspired you to submit to 2024’s competition to see where it might take you and your writing.

SUBMIT TO PRIZE

Coming soon: launch of The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2022

2022 Writers’ Prize Judge, Elizabeth Chakrabarty. Photo by Jason Keith

The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2022 opens for applications on September 12 and this year we are thrilled to announce that the prize will be judged by the writer Elizabeth Chakrabarty.

Elizabeth is an interdisciplinary writer using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her debut novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, inspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by the Indigo Press, along with her essay, On Closure and Crime. In 2022 Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was longlisted for both the Desmond Elliott Prize, and also the Polari First Book Prize. Elizabeth was also shortlisted for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022, for her story ‘That Last Summer’ published in The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022: Crime Stories by Comma Press.

“The quest to become a published author involves showing your work to
those who might help make that dream a reality. Being one of the
Writers’ Prize winners gave me the opportunity to present my fiction to
an audience of publishing professionals. And for that I’m grateful.”

— William Cairns, a winner of The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2021

Aiming to support talented writers who might not otherwise have access to the industry, The Book Edit’s Writers’ Prize is a writing competition for unpublished British and/or UK-based novelists from backgrounds and communities currently under-represented in UK publishing.

Mich Maroney, one of the 8 winners of The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2021

“After getting over the initial shock of winning, it was just fantastic to feel that my voice was being heard...and also meeting my fellow writers - a very diverse group - was also fantastic...thank you very much, The Book Edit!”

— Mich Maroney, a winner of The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2021

Eight lucky winners will have the chance to read their work at a live Zoom showcase event in front of industry guests and The Book Edit contacts. After the event, an anthology of the readings will be published online.

“The Book Edit Writer’s Prize is a great opportunity for new writers...”

— Deepa Anappara, author of the acclaimed Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Winners will have the opportunity to rehearse and train for the showcase event with writer, editor and Novel Studio tutor, Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone.

And even if you aren’t one of the lucky winners, it’s a competition you can’t lose: completely free to enter, all entrants will receive advice on other options including courses, mentoring and editing.

All you need to submit is the first 1,000 words of your novel. For full competition details, judges, dates and submission guidelines follow this link.

The competition opens on Monday 12th September 2022, with a deadline of midnight on the 22nd October 2022. The Book Edit can’t wait to read your submissions and share your talent!