The Prize is for novels by unpublished and unrepresented women writers over the age of 18 in the UK and Ireland.
Now going into its fourteenth year, the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize has developed a reputation for attracting first-class writing talent. Judges are seeking entries that combine literary merit with 'unputdownability’, and it has been a catalyst for numerous literary careers.
The winner of the 2024 prize will receive guidance and support from literary agent and sponsor Peters Fraser Dunlop as well as a cash prize of £1,500.
The 2024 judging panel welcomes back Tim Bates, Head of the Books Department and literary agent at Peters Fraser Dunlop; Dr Isobel Maddison, Fellow Emerita of Lucy Cavendish College where she was Lecturer and Director of Studies in English; Jackie Ashley, political journalist, broadcaster and Honorary Fellow of the College; Gillian Stern, editor and ghost-writer; Lindsey Traub, Fellow Emerita; and Phoebe Morgan, Harper Collins Editorial Director and author of four novels published by HQ. Joining the panel this year is Cathy Moore, Founder, CEO & Artistic Director of the Cambridge Literary Festival, University of Cambridge.
To enter the 2024 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize click here
The 2023 winner of the Fiction Prize was Sarah Harman with her novel The Dirtbag Detective.
She says, “Winning the Fiction Prize changed everything, and I’m so grateful. Firstly, it’s given me a wonderful network of fellow writers, industry professionals, and past Fiction Prize winners, all who have been so generous in sharing their advice and contacts in the last few months. It’s also given me a wonderful community of writer friends. And of course, a ton of literary agents reached out to me after the prize was announced. I won’t lie, that part was pretty exciting too!”
The Fiction Prize and its authors
Since its foundation in 2010, the Prize has been a starting point in numerous entrants’ success stories giving them the platform to launch successful and ongoing careers as novelists, including Gail Honeyman, Sara Collins, Laura Marshall, Nicola Garrard, and Susan Stokes Chapman.
Read more about the successful authors here
About Lucy Cavendish College
Lucy Cavendish College’s mission is to unlock the potential of students from non-traditional and underrepresented backgrounds who are driven by a desire to make a difference and are committed to having a positive and lasting impact on society.
Contact information
https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fictionprize Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, T: 01223 768426, E: comms@lucy.cam.ac.uk
To enter the 2024 Lucy Cavendish Fiction prize click here
To find out more about the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize click here