Jenny Brown Associates Debut Writers Over 50 Award in 2025

 Full details 

We are delighted to announce that we are again running the Jenny Brown Associates Debut Writers Over 50 Award in 2025.

This is the second Award, established to address the few literary opportunities which help older writers break into the publishing industry. The Award was first run in 2023 and won by Glennis Virgo, selected from over 1700 entries. Glennis Virgo’s debut novel City of Silk is published in November by Allison & Busby.

We want to celebrate the diversity of writers over the age of 50 and to value their collected, distilled wisdom, their lifetime of reading and experience. The vast majority of books are bought by older readers, a hugely important demographic, and increasingly they want to see themselves represented in books.

Debut novelists based in the UK are invited to submit the first 5000 words of their novel during the month of February 2025 – deadline February 28 – a shortlist will be announced on 27 July and the winner revealed during the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2025.

The winner will receive £1000 cash prize, and a week’s course at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre. Runners up will be offered tailored mentoring. Full details of the Award and how to enter can be found below.

How To Enter
Terms & Conditions
FAQs

NB we will be accepting submissions from 1 February. Please do not send before this date.

Key dates

  • 1-28 February: submissions.
  • 1-30 April: call in (if we want to see full manuscript).
  • 27 July: shortlist announcement.
  • 23 August: winner announced.

Submitting

  • This prize is open to unpublished and unrepresented debut novelists writing for adults aged 50 and above. UK residents only.
  • Please submit the first 5000 words of your debut novel (envisaged to be no less than 60 000 words) together with a one-page full synopsis and a page of information about yourself (inc. date of birth) and what inspired this work. Also give your date of payment fee and the name in which the payment has been made.
  • Entry fee is £10, payable via PayPal.
  • Please note, as we do not generally represent the following categories, we will not be considering science fiction, horror or fantasy.
  • All entries are via email, no hard copies will be considered. Please submit your work as a Word document clearly labelled i.e. Author/Title. Please do not send large files or images. All submissions should be 1.5 or double spaced.
  • Entry is via our email debut@jennybrownassociates.com, which will be acknowledged.
  • Submissions open on 1 February 2025 and close on 28 February 2025.

Calling in

  • If we want to see your full manuscript we will be in touch by 1 May and ask that you send it by 31 May. Note that you do not have to have entirely finished your work at the time of submission in February to be considered, but do have it ready in May in case it is called in.

Shortlisting & Award

  • The shortlist of up to six will be announced on 27 July 2025 and the winner announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2025.
  • The prize will consist of £1000 and a week’s residential course or retreat at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre for the winner, and mentoring sessions with experienced writers, editors, and agents as appropriate for the runners up on the shortlist.
  • Only those on the shortlist will receive written feedback.
 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DAW

Dark Edge Press

Polis Books