Hodderscape is thrilled to reveal the longlist of 12 talented writers vying for the prestigious Mo Siewcharran Prize. Now in its fifth year, the prize commemorates Mo Siewcharran, the former Director of Marketing and Communications at Nielsen BookData. Sponsored by John Seaton, Mo Siewcharran’s husband and co-founder of the prize, and Nielsen BookData, this accolade celebrates unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage, and minority ethnic backgrounds.
This year’s focus is on fantasy, with Hodderscape hosting the competition. The longlist was meticulously selected by the editorial team at Hodder & Stoughton, employees from various Hachette UK companies, and members of Hachette UK’s THRIVE network, which advocates for cultural awareness and supports minority ethnic colleagues and creatives.
Molly Powell, Hodderscape’s Publishing Director, expressed her admiration for the entries: “We were blown away by the quality of entries to the Mo Siewcharran Prize this year, as well as the variety of fantasy stories that have been selected for the longlist: from cozy fantasy, to the truly epic, to the gothic, and with entrants writing across young adult and adult.”
A shortlist of up to six writers will be selected by a panel of judges including Molly Powell, Commissioning Editor Natasha Qureshi, bestselling author Saara El-Arifi, author Sangu Mandanna, literary agent Edwina de Charnace, FairyLoot founder Anissa de Gomery, and Feyi Oyesanya, co-chair of THRIVE. The winner and runners-up will be chosen from this shortlist.
The longlist includes:
– The One Day King by Daniel Adediran
– The Devotee by H.D. Ahmed
– The Five Realms by Olivia Dean
– Porcelain and Power by Tasha Dhanraj
– The Call of the Empyrean by Robert Gardiner
– Sandstorm by Aliyah Goga
– The Master of the Valley by Cassie Leung
– The Treaties We Break by Tina Shah
– The Necromancer by Adetola Shaw
– Modern Day Dragons by Ana Sun
– Deity of a Drowning Realm by K. Andrea White
– All Storms A Labyrinth by Phoebe Yemi Ara
The shortlist will be announced on September 11, 2024, with the winner unveiled at a ceremony on September 25, 2024. The top prize includes £2,500 and extensive professional development opportunities. Runners-up will also receive monetary prizes and other benefits. For more information, visit the Mo Siewcharran Prize website, https://www.thefuturebookshelf.co.uk.
