We are delighted to reveal the longlist for 2025's Book Edit Writers' Prize, championing unpublished novelists from communities currently underrepresented in UK publishing.

This prize was established in 2020 to give visibility and support to new voices and to attempt to open doors into the industry for British and UK-based novelists seeking representation.

We've been overwhelmed by this year's entries – a record number of submissions that reflect a remarkable breadth and richness of storytelling.

The longlisted entries offer a vibrant mix of genres and approaches, ranging from thrillers through to historical fiction. Every writer on this longlist has shown real potential, creating gripping stories that demand to reach more readers. These are powerful, distinctive voices bringing vital new perspectives to the literary landscape.

THE LONGLISTED WRITERS AND THEIR NOVELS ARE:

A Handful of Grain by Sudhana Singh
All the Grieving Mothers by George Hamilton
Bánh Meet Cute by Sophie Yan Yee Lau
Becoming K. J. Miller by Uduak-Abasi Ekong
City of Storytellers by Shehrazade Zafar-Arif
Climbs and Punishment by Joseph Whyte
Familiar Magic by Rachel Lewis
Fearfully, Wonderfully by Summer Kendrick
Fireflies by Jane Cacouris
Get a Life, Sean Paulson by Louise Tolmie
Infection by Kiah Olowu
Ingredients by Javaria Akbar
Iniono by Esohe Uwadiae
Patchwork Sea by Alan C. Smith
Playing for the Other Team by Alice Sanders
Roots by Kirsty Purnell
Son of Dusk by Chisom Okoronkwo
Spirit of Endeavour by Matthew Fothergill
The Cursed Detective by Phil Callaghan
The Sun Inside the Storm by Siobhan Costello
Unwritten Ending by Kiah Simpson
When the Cherry Blossom Falls by Susannah Jong-Sook Bond
Witness We Give by Hussein Dookhun
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 26, 2025.

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.