Spotlight on Kezia Yadhav part of this year's Writers' Prize Team

This week we wanted to give space to one of our Writers’ Prize team members, Kezia Yadhav. Kezia has been helping to write the blogs promoting the prize. Read on for her unique perspective:

Blog creator Kezia Yadhav

‘Originally from India, I moved to Ireland two years ago to pursue a master's degree in English. I found that there is a lack of knowledge among people about the publishing industry in general and have always wished to pursue a career within that space to be able to read, work and create books that can be enjoyed by all. I became a freelance editor for JM Agency after completing my classes, where I proofread, copyedit, and work with authors on manuscripts. It was still very early in my career, and I had much to learn.

To reach my goal of achieving a career in the publishing industry, I applied for jobs via LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job boards, but I had no luck. After assembling my written work and creating a portfolio that includes a bit about myself and my journey, I posted it on LinkedIn, hoping to attract a larger audience. Posting on the platform, marketing and advertising what I have to offer proved to be valuable lessons that helped me establish contacts.

A LinkedIn posting of my writing portfolio began my journey with the Book Edit. Through Emily, I was able to establish a contact that resulted in the opportunity to contribute to the Writers' Prize.

Creating this connection opened up a whole new area of making publishing accessible to people who may not readily have those resources and opportunities. I was not completely aware of the different organizations that worked towards this goal specifically. Thus, finding the Book Edit, the Writers’ Prize competition and the success stories of past winners and their work was very encouraging to be a part of. 

Among the most important attributes the Book Edit has brought to the publishing space is inclusiveness. My experience working with Emily to create blog posts about the current Writers' Prize competition has been extremely valuable. This experience allowed me to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to make your written piece concise, convincing, and aligned with the overall theme. In addition, I was able to look into the experiences of other aspiring authors and learn about their journeys with the Book Edit, the competition and the success they have acquired.

A competition such as this has opened up a new arena for writers who may lack opportunities, which is encouraging for someone like me who is just beginning a publishing career. While my contribution to the competition was only small, I felt urged to enhance both my professional and personal skills and am grateful for the opportunity Emily gave me.’

Thanks so much, Kezia!

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

The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2023 launches soon!

The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2023 opens for applications on September 11 and this year we are delighted to announce that the prize will be judged by the writer Deepa Anappara.

Deepa was born in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in India for eleven years. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship in Journalism. 

Her debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. It is being translated into 23 languages.

Deepa is also the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture, published by Random House (US) and Vintage (UK) in March 2023.

“I am thrilled to judge the Book Edit Writer’s Prize, which was set up only three years ago and has already had tremendous success,’ writes Deepa. ‘Despite recent initiatives, access to publishing remains difficult for those in marginalised groups, and the Book Edit prize aims to highlight the incredible diversity of talent in this country. To be part of the prize is a real privilege, and I am looking forward to reading the submissions.

”

— Deepa Anappara

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.

“Winning the Writer’s Prize was the first time I’d had any external validation for my work and the showcase led to interest from a literary agent. This gave my confidence a massive boost and answered the question that I’d been asking myself for a long time which was “Am I capable of writing something with the potential to get published?”. The whole experience has spurred me on and I’m now more focussed than ever on that goal. Emily and the team at The Book Edit were so supportive through the whole process and am truly grateful for them running the prize.”

— Alexander McPhail, 2022 winner

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. 

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

As if all that wasn’t enough, this year we have partnered with the brilliant Legend Press who will be offering a unique opportunity for each of our winners to submit their first chapters to Legend’s Commissioning Editor, Lauren Wolff-Jones, followed by an hour’s Zoom mentoring session, during which Lauren will provide expert feedback and guidance.

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 11th September 2023, with a deadline of midnight on the 23rd October 2023. The Book Edit can’t wait to read your submissions and share your talent!

The 2022 Book Edit Writers' Prize Launches Today

We are delighted to announce the launch today of The Book Edit’s Writers’ Prize 2022, which this year will be judged by author Elizabeth Chakrabarty.

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 communities and backgrounds currently under-represented in UK publishing.

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

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

"Winning the Book Edit Writers' Prize did more than give me confidence as a writer: it connected me with a wonderful group of fellow writers who, nine months on, are still in touch to celebrate our successes." 2021 winner Hannah Hoare, author of Parahumanity, Wild Wolf Publishing.

Winners will have the opportunity to rehearse and train for the showcase event and everyone who enters will receive advice on other options including mentoring, courses and editing.

Completely free to enter, it’s a competition no-one can lose! For full competition details, judges, dates and submission guidelines follow this link or click on the button below.

We can’t wait to read your submissions! Good luck!

Author Spotlight: Rebecca Ley

With just over a week left until The Book Edit Writers’ Prize deadline, we wanted to share the profiles of some of the brilliant authors The Book Edit has supported in the past to inspire submissions to the competition. Last time we looked at the phenomenal Hannah Begbie, prize-winning novelist of Mother (2018) and Blurred Lines (2020) both published by Harper Collins. Today we’re looking at the work of Rebecca Ley, whose debut novel, For When I’m Gone, came out with Orion in September 2020.

Rebecca Ley is a journalist and author who worked with The Book Edit on a full developmental edit of her debut, For When I’m Gone (Orion, 2020). With the feedback she received, Rebecca was able to redraft the book, secure an agent and within a few months she had sold the book to Orion. She says of the experience: ‘I found using The Book Edit brilliant. It was invaluable to have an experienced editor look at my work before trying to find an agent. The suggestions she made were extremely perceptive and useful in the redrafting process.’ 

For When I’m Gone is narrated by a young mother, Sylvia, dying of breast cancer. The novel is a guidebook, written to her husband, about their family life with a secret at its heart. Though the subject matter is dark, the novel is uplifting and masterful in its exploration of the minutiae of daily parenting. It’s a novel that stays with you long after reading. 

Rebecca is currently working on her second novel for Orion, due out next year. She also ghost-wrote a memoir, Hope Not Fear, for the inspirational Hassan Akkad, a Syrian refugee and Bafta-winning filmmaker who volunteered to work as a hospital cleaner when the pandemic hit and then persuaded Boris Johnson to extend the bereavement scheme to cleaners, porters and healthcare assistants. 

You can read more about Rebecca Ley and her writing process in the interview she did for The Book Edit where she gives advice to new writers and talks further about her process and the themes of her work. Click here for that interview in which she also explores ghosting as a metaphor for motherhood and being absent from the self.

Or take a leaf out of Rebecca Ley’s book and send your work to The Book Edit by submitting to The Book Edit Writers’ Prize. Aimed at supporting talented writers who might not otherwise have access to the industry, the prize is open to unpublished novelists from communities and backgrounds currently underrepresented in British publishing. You can see the full competition rules and details here. We can’t wait to see who will be next to join our list of writers whose work we have supported and continue to champion. The deadline for submissions is 22nd October 2021.