The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2024 Launches Today

We are thrilled to announce the launch today of the Book Edit Writers' Prize 2024, an initiative dedicated to discovering and promoting talented, unpublished novelists.

A Platform for Emerging Talent

The eight winners of the competition will get to present their work at an online Zoom showcase in front of invited industry guests, with an anthology of their work and a recording of the showcase featured on The Book Edit’s official website. They also will have the opportunity to train and rehearse for the showcase event, and all participants will receive guidance on other options including mentoring, editing and courses.

As an added benefit this year, we will also record and spotlight the shortlisted entries to create exposure for more writers.

“It was an honour to win last year’s Book Edit Writers’ Prize. It kickstarted my career as a writer. I’d recommend that any aspiring writer of colour apply.”
— Pavan Amara, 2023 Winner

Writers’ Prize Judge 2024 Lara Haworth

Meet our Judge, Lara Haworth

We’re delighted to welcome Lara Haworth as the judge for this year’s prize. Lara is an artist and novelist, and author of the acclaimed Monumenta.

“I am honoured to judge this year’s Book Edit Writer’s Prize. The talent of the shortlisted writers over the last four years demonstrates both the strength of the competition and the continued need to carve out a space for writers from marginalised groups to thrive on their own terms. As a queer writer, the obstacles to success have been many. It is a real privilege to be part of a prize that works to remove some of those barriers, and I can’t wait to read the submissions”
— Lara Haworth, Writers' Prize Judge

What the Prize Offers

The Book Edit Writers' Prize is more than just a competition. It's a launchpad for emerging talent, offering:

  1. Industry Exposure: Eight winners will have the opportunity to showcase their work to top industry professionals.

  2. Publication Opportunity: A chance to be featured in our anthology, putting your work in front of a wider audience.

  3. Expert Feedback: Personalised feedback from Lauren Wolff-Jones, Commissioning Editor at Legend Press.

  4. Networking: Connect with fellow writers and industry insiders.

“Winning the Writers’ Prize was a real boost to my self-belief as a writer...With the renewed confidence that I gained after winning the prize, I applied for other competitions and was long listed, shortlisted and selected as a winner in some of them. Just go for it. You never know what might happen.”
— Rosalind Yarde, 2023 Winner

Key Dates

  • Submissions Open: September 1, 2024

  • Submission Deadline: October 15, 2024

  • Rehearsal for winning writers: 13th November 2024

  • Online showcase event: 20th November 2024

  • Anthology of winners’ readings published on The Book Edit website:

    27th November 2024

How to Apply

For full details on submission guidelines and to apply, please visit our website.

“Winning the Book Edit Writers’ Prize winner 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...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.”
— Emily Abdeni-Holman, 2023 Winner

One week left to submit!

With just seven days left to send us your Writers’ Prize submissions, what better way to encourage you than to share news of one of last year’s longlisted writers, Hamish Morjaria?

Pan Macmillan India have acquired Hamish’s ‘heart-stopping thriller trilogy, The Harveen Gill Mysteries in a pre-empt. His first book, The Muziris Empire, which he submitted for the prize last year, will be published in summer 2024.

Speaking of his involvement with the Book Edit prize last year, Hamish said “The journey to publication can be a difficult one, perhaps even more so for writers who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Entering and being long listed for The Book Edit Writers’ Prize in 2022 was an important step for me. The kind words from Emily about The Muziris Empire were a welcome boost as I navigated the querying process.”

Congratulations, Hamish! We can’t wait to see your books in print!

And for those of you inspired by Hamish’s journey, why not see where submitting to this year’s prize might take you?