Last chance to enter 2016 Dundee International Book Prize
Published On Wed 17 Feb 2016 by Grant Hill
Aspiring authors dreaming of becoming the next literary sensation have just days to prove their unpublished masterpiece is worthy of winning £5,000 and a coveted publishing deal.
Hundreds of writers from around the globe have already entered the 2016 Dundee International Book Prize and any scribes who have not yet done so have until the end of Friday, 19th February to submit their novel for consideration.
In addition to the cash prize and publishing contract with Freight Books, this year’s winner will also receive a week of protected writing time and mentorship in Dundee. All entries will be read before a shortlist is drawn up later in the year. The judging panel will then debate the merits of the finalists before the winner is announced in October.
The competition is a joint venture between the 'Dundee - One City, Many Discoveries' campaign and Literary Dundee. It is open to authors from around the world, and eleven writers have launched their careers after winning the Prize since its inception in 2000. Last year’s winner was Martin Cathcart Froden with Devil Take the Hindmost, a thrilling ride through an historical London that is rarely visited.
Peggy Hughes of Literary Dundee, a University of Dundee-led initiative that connects readers, writers, books and bright ideas, said, “Knowing writers they will be busy with last-minute changes and deliberating over the finest of details to make sure their submission is perfect. We have already been hugely impressed by the standard of entries, which have come from across the world. This is a testament to the esteem in which the Dundee International Book Prize is held in and I’m sure there will be many more gems coming our way before the competition closes at midnight on Friday.”
Devil Take the Hindmost was described by the judging panel, which included broadcaster Fred MacAulay and award-winning crime writer Denise Mina, as “a page turner, a compelling and original noir, like Peaky Blinders meets Brighton Rock”. It will be published by Freight Books in June this year.
Over the years, several finalists have also gone on to gain publishing details thanks to the profile the Prize offered them, demonstrating the strength of the competition.
There is no minimum or maximum length to the manuscript but it must be the author's debut novel. More information about the Prize, including a full set of rules and details about how to submit an entry can be found at http://www.dundeebookprize.com/.
Only shortlisted authors will be contacted by the organisers of the prize. The winner will be informed of their success in July and the winner will be announced at the Dundee Literary Festival in October.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk