Your novel. My other passion project. And a giveaway.

Okay, so I can't promise you'll become a Sunday Times bestselling crime author of five novels, nor that you'll be a star on Traitors, like one of our illustrious alumni. But I can promise a year of outstanding teaching and support to develop your novel alongside a group of fellow writers who'll become more important to you than you might expect.

As well as running The Book Edit, I'm the founder and director of the Novel Studio at City St George's, a year-long programme for writers who are serious about their novel and serious about giving it the best possible chance. We have spaces available for our September 2026 start, and I'd love to see some of you there.

Our alumni track record speaks for itself. Alongside bestselling author of five crime novels, Harriet Tyce, Janice Okoh (last year’s Writers’ Prize judge) has just recently won an emerging talent BAFTA for her screenwriting; Deepa Anappara published her second novel, The Last of Earth, to great critical acclaim earlier this year; and Lara Haworth was shortlisted for the Nero Book Award for her debut, Monumenta.

The deadline has been extended, and there's a giveaway

We've extended our application deadline to 30th June, and to celebrate, we're offering something a little extra. The next ten people to apply will receive a free ticket to our end-of-year showcase — online or in person, your choice — where current Novel Studio students will share their work with an audience of invited industry guests. It's a great evening, and a real taste of what the community is all about.

To apply, email me at Emily.Pedder.1@citystgeorges.ac.uk with 2,000 words of your fiction and a CV detailing any writing experience.

Not quite ready to apply? Come and meet us first.

If you'd like to experience the Novel Studio before you commit, we're running a free one-hour taster session on Thursday 18th June, 12.30–1.30pm BST, via Zoom.

Dr Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone will lead a mini session on reading like a writer, while Dr Kiare Ladner will explore the art of endings in fiction. There'll also be an overview of the programme and time for your questions.

It's free and online.

REGISTER HERE

Your novel won't write itself, but this course can very much help.

Look forward to seeing some of you at the taster session!

Spotlight on the 2023 Writers' Prize Shortlisted Novelists

Happy 2024!

We’re delighted to be kicking off the year with a spotlight on our Book Edit Writers’ Prize Shortlisted Novelists.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring the work of these writers, with a link to a reading from their shortlisted entry. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

First up, we have Bianca Aye and Grayson Anderson.

Bianca Aye is a British-Burmese (or Myanmarese) writer, raised on eighties action films and whodunits in the North of England. She has lived in London for the past decade, and in 2022 she attended the HarperCollins Author Academy for fiction. When she isn’t writing YA Fantasy or contemporary RomComs, Bianca takes long walks to fix plot-holes and creates wonderful disasters in the kitchen. Contact Bianca on: https://www.instagram.com/bmayewrites/

https://www.tiktok.com/@bianca.767

The City of Stolen Ether  

Maya, a mixed-race teen, returns to a secret, magical London to investigate her grandmother’s mysterious death. She sneaks around its underworld until a notorious crime syndicate starts hunting her. Accompanied by a motley crew of allies (and a boy she hates), Maya infiltrates an elite, dangerous magical school, and uncovers a sinister conspiracy. To expose the truth, she devises a scheme. But with enemies everywhere, one misstep could make her the syndicate’s next victim, or their new favourite weapon.

Bianca Aye Reading

Grayson Anderson is a British born Jamaican author and poet. Raised in South London, he has spent most of his life writing. His catalogue of work contains songs, poetry, a science fiction trilogy, and an opinion-based non-fiction book relating to the idiosyncrasies of gender in society. He considers himself a student of humanity, culture, and nature. He can be contacted on twitter: Grayson Anderson@Capprona or email: Grayson.anderson.e006@gmail.com.

Wayne’s Night Out

Gavin, his brother, Wayne, and their two friends have pre-wedding night drinks in their old haunts around South London. All four are hiding key elements of their life. Shame. Despair. Infidelity. And in Wayne’s case, doubt. This night, each of the four are forced to face their dilemmas whilst in the face of their peers. None more so than Wayne. His choices have ramifications that affect them all. This is the first in a tetralogy.  

Grayson Anderson Reading

Congratulations, Bianca and Grayson! We hope you enjoyed their readings as much as we did.

Next week, we’ll hear from two more shortlisted writers so watch this space!

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