Book Edit Community News Round-Up

It's been a while since our last update, and what a lot has happened! Read on for the latest from our community – a testament to the ongoing relationships we cherish with our authors long after their projects are complete.

Publication Successes

Last year's Writers' Prize judge Lara Haworth has been shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize for her phenomenal debut novel, Monumenta. The McKitterick Prize celebrates outstanding first novels by writers over 40, and this follows Lara being shortlisted for the Nero Prize late last year – a wonderful double recognition.

Jo Cunningham is publishing the second in her cosy crime series this August. Her debut, Death By Numbers, was released last year to rave reviews, and A Calculated Murder sees a return for amateur sleuth and actuary Una McMurray, this time set at an international cat show. Expect the usual deadpan comedy and clever craft in this novel too.

Award-winning novelist Hannah Begbie has published her stunning third novel, The Last Weekend, a compelling portrait of female friendships and secrets set over one dramatic weekend by the sea in Dorset. For more about Hannah’s other novels, visit her website HERE.

Nick Shepherd, has published his compelling memoir Changing Through War & Peace, My Life in Five Countries. From surviving the London Blitz to commanding field guns through the jungles of Malaya, to becoming CEO of a major cultural Institution in Mexico, Nick’s life embodies the transforming power of embracing difference. Speaking of his wonderful book, Nick generously has said ‘if the contents are coherent and orderly, it is due to ‘The Book Edit’s’ meticulous care.’ Watch this space for an interview to celebrate the launch of his memoir.

Writers' Prize winner Kay Inkle has sold her debut climate fiction thriller, Overspill, to SRL Publishing. Climate fiction (or ‘cli-fi’) explores our relationship with environmental change, and Kay's thriller promises to be a gripping entry to the genre. Watch this space for an interview with Kay ahead of publication.

Writers' Prize longlisted author Chris Bridges has released his debut psychological thriller, Sick to Death (Avon) to fantastic reviews, with the Guardian calling it 'deliciously dark and twisted, and a lot of fun.'

Book Edit Editor and host of the Writers' Prize, Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, has been awarded a PhD by the Open University for her novel, All the Hollow Places. Her supervisor said, 'This is an original, ambitious novel, formally innovative, covering a rich and sensitive period of political and cultural history and offers the reader a creative engagement with an individual life as well as making a formal interrogation of, and intervention in, conventional narrative design in contemporary fiction.' This academic achievement further strengthens the depth of editorial expertise we bring to our clients' work.

Dr Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone

And on a more personal note – my ten-year-old son has started work on the second volume of his manga, The Definitely Normal School! For anyone interested in the first volume, published last year, you can find a copy HERE, and if you're with Kindle Unlimited it's currently £0.00!

Opportunities

We're hard at work behind the scenes to bring you 2025's Writers' Prize. Full details of this year's judge and submission deadlines will be available by July. If you want to make sure you're on the list to hear about this first, sign up HERE.

Writers' Prize winner Hannah Hoare has teamed up with Newcastle University to run a science fiction short story competition, spotlighting DNA data storage as a revolutionary theme. Three prizes of £750-250, plus top stories to be published in an anthology.

The Novelry are offering a staggering £75,000 prize for their new writing competition. Full details are HERE.

For further writing prize competitions and opportunities, visit Penguin's comprehensive list HERE.

And finally…

I'm currently teaching The Story Within online with a wonderful group of writers and continuing to love the sense of engagement and community that is being generated. If you'd like to join me next term, do watch this space or email me on Emily@thebookedit.co.uk to be first to know when the next course is released.

That's all from me. I hope you're all thriving and managing to carve out some creative space for yourselves in this mad busy world.

Spotlight on some of last year's winners of the Book Edit Writers' Prize

With just under three weeks left until The Book Edit Writers’ Prize deadline, we wanted to profile some of the brilliant winners of last year's prize to inspire submissions to the competition…

Portrait of author Bren Gosling

2021 Writers’ Prize winner, author Bren Gosling

Bren Gosling was one of last year’s winners with his novel The Street Sweeper. Since then, his new play ‘Proud’ has had a sell-out run at the King’s Head Theatre, London. The play, inspired by The Street Sweeper, is a powerful new drama focusing on a queer love story, tackling contemporary themes of race, trauma, religion, and sexuality. His play, ‘Moment of Grace’ also ran this summer at the Hope theatre in London and tells the story of Princess Diana’s famous visit to the UK’s first HIV/AIDS ward 35 years ago.

2021 Writers’ Prize winner Hannah Hoare’s debut novel Parahumanity

Bren has said that: “Winning The Book Edit Prize gave me the boost in confidence every writer needs once in a while to just keep going.”

Meanwhile, Hannah Hoare, another of 2021’s winners, had her novel Parahumanity published on 19th August 2022 by Wild Wolf Publishing. The book envisions a dystopian future where both science and religion have fallen into disrepute, following semi-feral 17-year-old Katrina as she uncovers the truth.

Hannah has said that: "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."

Another 2021 Book Edit Writers’ Prize winner, Professor Malachi McIntosh, will publish a ground-breaking group biography of the Caribbean Artists Movement with Faber in 2023. Speaking of the Writers’ Prize, Malachi said “My confidence in my creative writing is a constant seesaw. Winning the Writer’s Prize came at a time when it felt like my fiction might never get much recognition. It really reinvigorated my faith and introduced me to some fantastic fellow writers. I can’t recommend participation highly enough.”

Author photo of Malachi McIntosh

2021 Writers’ Prize winner , author Professor Malachi McIntosh

And since being one of the 2021 prize’s winners, Mich Maroney launched a literary magazine, Swerve, this summer in Ireland. The magazine showcases emerging writers and artists from Cork and issue 1 is out now. Swerve aims to publish new and emerging writing but another, equally important, ambition is to publish works in translation.

If you want to follow in these brilliant winners’ footsteps, send your work to The Book Edit by submitting to The Book Edit Writers’ Prize, this year judged by acclaimed author Elizabeth Chakrabarty.

Aimed at supporting talented writers who might not otherwise have access to the industry, the prize is open to unpublished British and/or UK-based 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 2022.

Author Mich Maroney on her experience of winning the 2021 Writers’ Prize

The Book Edit inaugural Writers' Prize Winners Showcase 2021

Last Wednesday evening eight fabulous winners of the inaugural Book Edit Writers’ Prize took to the online stage to read winning extracts from their novels. In front of an audience of 30 top literary agents, plus selected family and friends, the winners treated us to an evening of brilliant readings, showcasing their incredible talent. From a Kosovan streetsweeper with PTSD to a queer coming-of-age story set in contemporary Edinburgh, these were urgent stories which explored everything from addiction to ambition and even the future of humanity.

THE WINNERS OF THE BOOK EDIT WRITERS’ PRIZE 2021

The Book Edit Writers’ Prize is a national competition open to unagented, unpublished UK-based writers from communities underrepresented in publishing. Speaking about the prize Book Edit Director Emily Pedder said the aim was “to help talented writers from underrepresented backgrounds gain access to the industry in a way that might not otherwise have been possible.”

Entrants were invited to submit the first 1000 words of an already completed novel, along with a synopsis and statement about their writing experience. The eight winners were trained in reading their work aloud at an online rehearsal a week before the showcase. Speaking about the prize, co-judge and host of the showcase Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone said “Reading the entries for The Book Edit Writers' Prize was a real pleasure. There was such a diverse range of genres and voices and I was incredibly impressed by the potential and energy of so many of the entries…I’d like to thank all the winners, for sending in such great work to the competition and reading so well.” 

Congratulations to all our winners! May this be the start of great things for your writing careers. And huge thanks to Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone for her involvement in the prize, from judging to rehearsing, hosting and everything in between.

For anyone wanting to hear these fabulous writers read from their work a recording of the showcase is available here and you can read an anthology of the extracts here.

Watch this space for future Book Edit events and competition dates!