This annual award is for Young Adult Fiction and is open to writers and illustrators worldwide. Entries should be original, absorbing and appropriate for 12 years and older. Entrants can be any age above 16 years.

Entrants will submit a short extract of a novel or graphic novel for teen readers (5,000 words, or 6-8 pages with finished art and text of a graphic novel, plus a 300 word synopsis). The organizer is looking for the most engaging novels and graphic novels on any topic, in any style –  comedy, romance, drama, horror, queer, contemporary, realist, speculative fiction and more.

Novels should be suitable for readers age 12 and older. Entrants only submit partial novels/graphic novels.

Shortlisted and longlisted novels will be revealed by 10 August 2025. All entrants will be informed. Winners will be announced in Septemb

All longlisted entries will be reviewed by Louise Lamont, young adult specialist at LBA Literary Agency.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.