New Hilary Mantel prize to help emerging writers
bbc.co.uk – Monday September 22, 2025
A new literary prize in memory of author Dame Hilary Mantel has been set up to champion new writers.
The Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction is being launched on the third anniversary of her death after her private correspondence revealed she had mentored aspiring writers throughout her life.
Organisers of the new biennial prize said it was open to unpublished writers without an agent living in the UK or Ireland, and the winner would get a cash prize, mentoring from an agent and a place on an Arvon Foundation residential writing course.
Devon-based Dame Hilary herself won the prestigious Booker Prize twice and is probably best known for her book Wolf Hall that became a BBC TV series.
The judging panel will be chaired by bestselling author Maggie O'Farrell.
She said: "Encouragement from a writer of Hilary Mantel's stature is nothing short of transformative. It's like winning a thousand lotteries for debut writers."
The two authors shared an agent and it was decided offering an award for unpublished writing was the best way to honour her memory.
5 new Australian publishers are making defiant, weird, grass-roots books
theconversation.com – Friday September 19, 2025
In the past year or so, three Australian publishing mergers happened within a few short months. Text Publishing, Pantera Press and Affirm Press were all absorbed into a larger company. Once a company has shareholders, like Penguin Random House and Simon and Schuster (which acquired Affirm and Text), the business is geared to generate the greatest return for them.
Meanwhile, the closure of 85-year-old literary journal Meanjin has drawn the ire of industry insiders and readers in Australia and abroad.
But there’s also some good news in the launch of five new Australian book publishers: Perentie Press, Pink Shorts Press, Evercreech Editions, Aniko Press and Bakers Lane Books.
Their new work includes short books, graphic novels, short-story collections, experimental writing and literary fiction. Two are launching with prizes for unpublished work: one (worth A$2,500 as an advance towards royalties) for a graphic novel; the other a $10,000 award for an unpublished work of literary fiction by an Australian woman or gender-diverse writer, co-judged by Stella Prize winning author Emily Bitto.
Ebury Launches PRH UK’s First Christian Imprint
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday September 17, 2025
Ebury has announced Ebury Vine, the first-ever Christian imprint at Penguin Random House UK. The publisher said the launch is in response to a clear market need, with a resurgence of Christianity around the world, particularly among young people. Charisa Gunasekera, formerly of SPCK Publishing, has been named Ebury Vine's commissioning editor. Gunasekera will also acquire titles for Rider, Ebury's spirituality imprint.
Both imprints sit in Ebury’s Self hub alongside Vermilion and Happy Place Books. The Vine logo, designed by Lucy Thorne, "represents its aims to draw on the deep roots of Christianity to cultivate curious minds and inspire faith-informed growth," said Ebury Self publishing director, Olivia Morris.
"It’s been a pleasure to welcome Charisa to Ebury and see her entrepreneurial flair at work building the fantastic launch list," Morris said in a statement. "Our Rider imprint has long been successful in publishing faith-focused hope and healing, and so this launch is a fitting way to build on this heritage and mark out our ambitious intent to grow this space. There is so much to come. We are excited to reach new audiences and support fresh author talent to flourish here at Ebury."
The Ebury Vine list's first title, Waiting for Jesus: An Advent Invitation to Prayer and Renewal, by author and pastor Rich Villodas, is out on September 18. Gunasekera acquired rights from PRH US, and will publish the book alongside the PRH Christian US Division, which was created last October.
‘It’s a horror story’: budding author loses almost $150k to publishing scams
thepost.co.nz – Sunday September 14, 2025
Looking back, it’s obvious it was all a scam.
But at the time, unmedicated for bipolar disorder and suffering alcoholism, the budding author didn’t think twice about promises of success from fourpublishing houses he now knows are fake.
The Auckland-based author, who the Sunday Star-Times has agreed not to name, spent about $150,000 over two years trying to get his books published and promoted all over the world and has nothing to show for it.
At the time, his unmedicated bipolar disorder meant he suffered from mania, he says, and he was delighted by the idea of massive sales and success with his book
“They would smooth talk me, they would praise my work and tell me how wonderful it was and how it was selling rapidly all over the world and how I'd be really rich soon, and just pay more money for this, and so they they'd throw something at me to pay for.
“They already had my credit card details, so I'd go, oh yes, OK, and so they would play some music while they took some money off my credit card, and then that would be the end of it.”
As Disruption Sweeps Publishing, A Crowdfunding Platform For Books Finds A Niche: Connecting Authors with Publishers
forbes.com – Saturday September 13, 2025
Marijn Wiersma wants to challenge how women think about their careers.
"Don’t confuse grit with well-being," advised Wiersma, a corporate anthropologist based in the Netherlands and founder of Incredible Impact, a company focused on unlocking women’s potential as entrepreneurs and leaders, at the launch of SOS: A Navigation Guide for Women at Work, which she co-authored and published earlier this year. She pointed to an often-overlooked health disparity: women live longer than men, but often spend a greater proportion of their lives in ill health.
Wiersma and her multi-generational co-authors— banker Chantal Korteweg, veterinarian Lidewij Wiersma and management trainee Tessel van Willigen—had gathered for a stop on their book tour at Bibliothèque, a wine bar in SoHo in New York City.
The four authors, each at different stages of their careers, collectively published SOS through Publishizer, a platform to connect authors with publishers, working with Morgan James Publishing. They sold more than 600 copies through a preorder campaign.
Former Tattered Cover Co-Owners Launch Publishing Venture
publishersweekly.com – Saturday September 13, 2025
Industry veterans Kristen Gilligan and Len Vlahos, the former co-owners of Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, have launched a new venture: Left Field Publishing. Left Field will publish both adult and children’s books and, Gilligan and Vlahos emphasize, are committed to acquiring only those books that the two are passionate about. Left Field will be distributed by IPG.
According to its mission statement, Left Field is committed to publishing “powerful, beautifully-told stories that fall outside the traditional lines.” It will focus on authors “whose work blends genres, expands minds, and invites conversation.” Gilligan added in an email to PW that “instead of asking authors to squeeze into a narrow lane, we meet the work where it lives and help it thrive in the marketplace.”
Vlahos added, “We’re drawn to books that zig when the market expects them to zag, stories that don’t fit neatly into one category, authors who color outside the lines.”
Vlahos should know: the two were inspired to launch Left Field after Vlahos’s agent had shopped his seventh novel, The Story of Oog—which, Gilligan said, is a crossover read that does not really fit into any one genre—to publishers to no avail.
Spooky Middle Grade Still Sells
publishersweekly.com – Saturday September 6, 2025
Publishers and agents are seeing an increase in spooky—not scary—tales for middle grade readers.
With editors looking for shorter, more plot-driven middle grade projects these days, agents have seen an uptick in the horror genre for younger readers.
In 2023, the Bram Stoker Awards, presented annually by the Horror Writers Association, added a middle grade novel category, which Regina Brooks, president of Serendipity Literary Agency, cites as “clear recognition from the industry that this space is thriving.” She adds, “We’re definitely seeing more horror submissions. The strongest projects deliver age-appropriate scares, often blending horror with mystery, humor, or fantasy. They feature relatable characters, fresh concepts, and offer thrills that still feel safe and satisfying for young readers.”
Brooks points to Tony Jones’s “Essential YA and Middle Grade Horror” online roundup from earlier this year as a source spotlighting fresh titles in the genre, including Alice Nuttall’s debut The Zombie Project and Larry Hayes’s The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick.
Australian writers shocked and ‘disgusted’ by closure of 85-year-old literary journal Meanjin
theconversation.com – Thursday September 4, 2025
After 85 years of continuous publication, Meanjin, Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, is closing. Editor Esther Anatolitis and deputy editor Eli McLean have been made redundant and the final issue will appear in December. Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), which has housed the magazine since 2007, has cited “purely financial grounds” for the decision.
The closure has been roundly condemned by writers across Australia, including Jennifer Mills, Anna Krien, Claire G. Coleman and Sian Prior, along with former editors including Sophie Cunningham, Jonathan Green and Sally Heath.
“The loss of Meanjin is devastating news for Australian writers and readers,” Mills, a Miles Franklin shortlisted author, wrote on Bluesky. “Always meant so much to see my work there. Some of my best experiences of being edited.”
I’m an Avid Reader, Writer and Bookshop Dweller – These Are the Literary Festivals Not To Miss This Autumn
marieclaire.co.uk – Wednesday September 3, 2025
I've always loved books. As a child I spent countless nights frantically page-turning when I was supposed to be sleeping, and over the last twenty years I've built a robust collection of paperbacks from cute bookstores, friends and endless charity shops. Admittedly, I was locked in a reading slump for a few years and my TBR pile neither expanded nor shrank, but after moving to Brighton and becoming a seasoned cafe-hopper I'm well and truly in my Book Era 2.0.
Since leaving London, I've also spent more time on creative writing - something which has largely taken a back seat since becoming a journalist nine years ago. But I've been desperate for some structure and inspiration; I've joined writing groups, attended local workshops and managed to start (and abandon) The Artist's Way approximately nine times in the last six months. I'm trying.
But it wasn't until recently that I realised just how many incredible literary festivals take place in the UK during my favourite season: autumn. From author panels to inspiring practical workshops, industry insider talks to open mic nights for new voices, had I taken this into account during my book dry spell I might have read more than one book a year, or written my first novel by now. Or, finished The Artist's Way.
Acorn Publishing launches search for next breakout author with San Diego Writers Festival
timesofsandiego.com – Wednesday September 3, 2025
Could your novel or memoir be the next breakout hit? Acorn Publishing is searching nationwide for an unpublished author to take center stage at the 2026 San Diego Writers Festival, which has previously featured writers such as Anne Lamott, James Patterson, and Piper Kerman.
One exceptional unpublished author will receive a full-service publishing package valued at over $11,000, awarded completely free, according to a news release.
The winner will be announced live on stage at the festival in Coronado, which draws roughly 2,000 visitors each year. Past festivals have featured keynote speakers including Anne Lamott, James Patterson, and Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black.
Get the free newsletter | Submit a news item or article | Get Writers' News for your website
