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who might not otherwise have access to the industry, The Book Edit’s Writers’ Prize is a writing competition for unpublished British and/or UK-based novelists from communities and backgrounds currently under-represented in UK publishing.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!

The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2022 is Launching Soon!

Coming soon: launch of The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2022

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

The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2022 opens for applications on September 12 and this year we are thrilled to announce that the prize will be judged by the writer Elizabeth Chakrabarty.

Elizabeth is an interdisciplinary writer using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her debut novel Lessons in Love and Other Crimes, inspired by experience of race hate crime, was published in 2021 by the Indigo Press, along with her essay, On Closure and Crime. In 2022 Lessons in Love and Other Crimes was longlisted for both the Desmond Elliott Prize, and also the Polari First Book Prize. Elizabeth was also shortlisted for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022, for her story ‘That Last Summer’ published in The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2022: Crime Stories by Comma Press.

“The quest to become a published author involves showing your work to
those who might help make that dream a reality. Being one of the
Writers’ Prize winners gave me the opportunity to present my fiction to
an audience of publishing professionals. And for that I’m grateful.”

— William Cairns, a winner of The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2021

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.

Mich Maroney, one of the 8 winners of The Book Edit Writers’ Prize 2021

“After getting over the initial shock of winning, it was just fantastic to feel that my voice was being heard...and also meeting my fellow writers - a very diverse group - was also fantastic...thank you very much, The Book Edit!”

— Mich Maroney, a winner of The Book Edit Writers' Prize 2021

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. 

“The Book Edit Writer’s Prize is a great opportunity for new writers...”

— Deepa Anappara, author of the acclaimed Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

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

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 12th September 2022, with a deadline of midnight on the 22nd October 2022. The Book Edit can’t wait to read your submissions and share your talent!

Dr Rosa Rogers joins The Book Edit as a mentor

We are delighted to have added another mentor to The Book Edit’s stable. Rosa Rogers is a Doctor of Philosophy in The Contemporary Novel: Practice as Research, and an experienced writing mentor and workshop facilitator.

A talented author in her own right, Rosa’s debut literary novel, Composition, was completed as part of her PhD at the University of Kent. Her short fiction, poetry and visual art have been published and/or exhibited in The Menteur (Paris), Stirred Press, Northern Quarter, East Street Arts, The Media Centre and Vortex Gallery, and she has performed her work across France and the UK.

Not content with her own creative output, Rosa is also a creator of multiple community projects, e.g. Poetry etc. and Tales of a Town, and is the former Co-Director of Vortex Gallery.

Rosa currently works as an assistant lecturer in Creative Writing in Canterbury, City, University of London, and Nantes where she receives outstanding feedback from students on her warm, generous and inspiring approach to teaching.

We are thrilled to announce she will now also be one of The Book Edit’s fiction mentors, working side-by-side with emerging writers to help develop their work and their confidence.

Welcome, Rosa!

Writers' Prize winners go on to great things

At The Book Edit we love to keep in touch with our writers and champion their successes. So we were delighted when some of our 2021 Writers’ Prize winners shared their news. Congratulations to them all!

Bren Gosling’s new play ‘Proud’ had a sell-out run at the King’s Head Theatre, London in February this year. Inspired by his novel,The Street Sweeper, which was won of the winning entries in the Writers’ Prize 2021, his powerful new drama focuses on a queer love story and tackles contemporary themes of race, trauma, religion, and sexuality.

Described by the actress Alison Steadman as 'A wonderful story. Compelling. Please see it,’ ‘Proud’ will be staged again in June, this time at The Hope Theatre, London, where it will run from 28 June - 16 July. To book tickets, visit the box office here.

Bren Gosling

Hannah Hoare has been busy publishing her growing collection of short stories. ‘The Nostalgia Machine’ has been accepted by a new independent magazine called Infinity Wanderers. Another story, ‘The Curse’, has been selected to be read at The Social, London, on June 10th. The story also appears in the latest edition of Open Pen, No. 29, and takes centre stage on their cover. As if that’s not enough, she’s also published in Grindstone Literary for her prize-winning international short story, ‘The Twopenny Bargain’.

Open Pen Issue No. 29

Mich Maroney

Since being one of the eight Writers’ Prize winners, Mich Maroney’s been busy. She was a recent winner in The Cork Book Festival’s competition for new writers where last month she and nine other winners read their work aloud in front of agents. Speaking of the event, Mich said “The reading was actually quite nerve-wracking - very different to reading on Zoom but the room was full of writers so there was a very supportive atmosphere.” She also received invaluable feedback on her submission and is currently using this to restructure her novel Ink, Blood, Brick, Bone.

Not content with winning further prizes, Mich has also been hard at her latest venture, a literary magazine for new and emerging writers called Swerve which will launch at The West Cork Literary Festival on 11th July at which there will be readings by three authors, a round table discussion with three other magazines and an exhibition of images from the magazine.

Congratulations to all and watch this space for more news on our winning writers!

Writing matters

Our director Emily Pedder also heads up the short writing courses over at City, University of London. We’re delighted to announce a new partnership she's set up with inspirational author and youth worker Ciaran Thapar and The Access Project.

Ciaran Thapar

Ciaran is a former student on City’s Narrative Non-Fiction course taught by the brilliant Peter Forbes. Inspired by the course, Ciaran went on to write and then publish a book about youth violence, Cut Short, with Penguin in 2021. When Ciaran approached Emily about running his own course at City, she jumped at the chance. Writing for Social Impact will launch at City next May 20 and 21st and is aimed at anyone who wants to learn strategic and creative ways of achieving real-world social impact with their writing.

Not content with initiating this course, Ciaran was also keen to be able to offer a free place on the course to a talented writer from a disadvantaged background. The result: City have now set up a scholarship for just such a student. Applications will be read and assessed by Ciaran who will choose the winning student by the beginning of May. Good luck to all the applicants!