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.

The Radical Act of Creative Community

In our ‘attention economy’ world, the simple act of sitting down to write has become a quiet rebellion.

Tech giants have built empires on their ability to capture, fragment and monetise our attention spans. Social media feeds, endless notifications, and the constant hum of digital distraction have trained us to exist in a state of permanent partial attention.

Against this backdrop, carving out time and mental space for creativity has become a quietly radical act.

When writers claim time for their craft, they're making a statement: that their creative voice matters, that their stories deserve to exist in the world. It's an act of resistance which move us from being passive consumers towards becoming active creators.

But this resistance is difficult to sustain alone. As social creatures, we thrive in community. The solitary writer at their desk is a romantic image, but the reality of sustained creative practice often depends on something more: accountability and fellowship.

When we connect with fellow writers, something special happens. Our private struggles become shared experiences. Our individual disciplines become reinforced by collective commitment. Our creative risks feel safer when witnessed by supportive peers who understand both the victories and vulnerabilities of the writing life.

This is the power of writing groups, workshops, and structured courses: they provide a container for our creative ambitions, a space where our writing matters not just to us but to others who are invested in our success.

The benefits extend beyond improved manuscripts. Writers who work in supportive communities consistently report something more profound: a transformation in how they view themselves and their place in the world. As one writer from our recent Story Within course described it: ‘I came away with a renewed appreciation of how committing to our writing can help us to live more fully in other ways - and how precious that is…’

If you're feeling the call to write in community and regain your creative confidence, my next Story Within course begins May 7th on Zoom – with just a few spaces remaining. Deadline to book has been extended to 30 April. This six-week journey focuses on helping you discover and nurture the essential story at the heart of your work, all within a supportive group of fellow writers. We also laugh a lot along the way.

I look forward to welcoming you.

The Story Within Returns This Summer - Now Online!

Next week will be the last session of The Story Within, a course I’ve been teaching in-person since January, and I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s been life affirming to gather each week with such a brilliant group of humans, exchanging ideas and supporting each other on the writing journey.

Some things have really stood out for me: the group’s willingness to try new things; their bravery at sharing new work; their commitment to the course and to each other; their openness to directing their own workshop process and discovering what they need to develop their work; their skill at delivering kind and incisive feedback; their humour and humanity. It’s been moving, fun, challenging and expansive. Thank you class of January 2025!

I’m excited to now be offering the course online next term to connect with writers beyond London. Here are the details:

Dates: Wednesdays, 6-8pm

7 May - 18 June 2025 (No session 28 May - half term)

“Delves into the author’s ambitions, giving focus to motivation, confidence, and the freedom to create and develop ideas from concept to page. Ideal to fuel or even reignite the passion and habit of writing. ”

— Grayson Anderson, winner Book Edit Writers' Prize 2024

The Story Within is a six-week programme designed for writers who want:

• Support and accountability

• A nurturing, fun, and heart-felt creative space

• To rediscover their writing confidence

• To connect with a supportive writing community

Held over Zoom, the course will be limited to just 10 participants to ensure personal attention.

Investment: £290

Two free spaces for low-income writers. Please email me if you think this applies to you. First come, first served.

Ready to join me?

Questions? Email me: emily@thebookedit.co.uk

I hope to see some of you there!

From Manuscript to Spotlight: The Book Edit Prize Shortlist Final Week

Our shortlist spotlight series concludes with Himmi Kari and Pip Penman, two compelling voices from 2024's Writers’ Prize shortlist.

Himmi Kari

Himmi is a GP, freelance writer and poet living in London. Greatly influenced by her decade-long medical career, Himmi writes about the challenges in the NHS and the potential for improvement through public health and medical technology. She is also a communication skills tutor at Imperial Medical School and a TEDxNHS speaker coach.

Her works have been published and produced. Most recently, her short play about women’s health, ‘The Phantom Marshmallow,’ was performed at the Marylebone Theatre in November 2024.

Crash Test Doctors

Crash Test Doctors follows three newly qualified doctors as they navigate their rollercoaster first year at the notorious ‘Misery Core’ hospital. Confronted daily with the sad, sick, and dying, they must adapt quickly to the harsh realities of medicine and fight to stay compassionate in the chaos. Can they maintain their humanity or will the relentless pressures consume them?

Pip Penman

Pip Penman is a Scottish writer from Kirkcaldy, Fife, living in New York City. She is co-founder of Women in Soccer, a professional network that advocates for women and underrepresented individuals in the soccer industry. As head of content, Pip writes Women in Soccer’s weekly newsletter with a readership of over 10,000. A Fulbright scholar, Pip completed a master’s degree at New York University. She also has a first-class degree in English Literature and History from the University of Edinburgh.

Ah Coudnae Tell

Escaping a traumatic past, identical twins Scarlet and Kirsty McLeod navigate young adulthood in Edinburgh. Struggling with her past, Scarlet spirals into alcohol-induced scandals that are shared online. Kirsty grapples with Scarlet’s destruction and a secret queer love that pulls her from her role as caretaker.

Set in 2014 and told through alternating narration, we see how technology affects their lives, which, like our own, are under constant digital surveillance.

The sisters’ loyalties are tested after Scarlet's actions lead to a devastating crime. When video footage and eyewitness accounts cannot determine who the responsible twin is, the line between reality and perception blurs.

Thank you for joining us in our series celebrating the depth of talent across our shortlist. Keep following us for news of next year's prize and more opportunities for emerging writers.

From Manuscript to Spotlight: Meet our Book Edit Prize Shortlist Week 3

We're excited to share our next two shortlisted writers, Hannah Foster and David Gill, whose work stood out among this year's prize submissions.

As with our spotlights over the past two years, we continue to champion all our shortlisted writers, knowing how vital visibility can be for emerging voices.

Hannah Foster

Hannah is from St Andrews, where she learned to love folklore and the sea. She has degrees in Social Anthropology and Gender, Policy and Inequalities, and enjoys examining society and humanity in her writing. She was diagnosed with ME in 2019 and now lives on the Isle of Tiree. She won The Octopus Scheme scholarship to work with The Novelry in 2023 on The Gorse in the Gloaming, her first novel.

You can keep up with her on Instagram @hannahfmuses

 The Gorse in the Gloaming

Tiree, 1795 – On a remote island where superstition reigns, the discovery of a mermaid’s corpse will irrevocably alter the paths of the girls who find it: Kate in life, and Effie in death. Inspired by a real letter concerning the exhumation of a mermaid on Tiree, The Gorse in the Gloaming explores the nature of belief and belonging in the spectacular setting of the Hebrides. For readers who loved Burial Rites, Folk and The Essex Serpent.

David Gill

David is from a working class, mixed race family in Cardiff – his grandfather was black. He now lives in Hackney, London. It has gentrified around him. He is old. He has had stories published by the London Magazine, Interzone, Decongested and read at Liars League.

After

Brexit with guns. And blindness.