2018 First Chapter Shortlist

After a lot of reading and some healthy debates between myself, Louise and Sophie over a few of the chapters, we have now whittled the very long longlist down to the final 10. These chapters will now be sent to Diana Beaumont for judging and the winner will be revealed by the end of the month. Thanks again to everyone that took part – we had the most entries ever for this year’s competition so for next year the entry fee will go down and there will be a second prize added as well. Details will be revealed in June.

In the meantime, many congratulations to the following shortlisted writers:

2018 First Chapter Competition Shortlist

  • Ain’t You Been Baptized by Rachel Daniels
  • Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge
  • Freeze Frame by Dawn-Michelle Baude
  • Gabriel by June Whitaker
  • Glide by Alison Lester
  • Kinesia Paradoxa by Dorothy Cornish
  • Looking For Me by Hilary Taylor
  • Ordinary Sacred by Holly Dawson
  • Pettiver’s Cabinet of Curiosities by Thornton Rigg
  • The Immortalist by Tracy Fells

Well done to all of you as your chapters really shone out and from the longlist of 62 novel openings all three of us chose just 14 first chapters for the shortlist. So we’d like to give an honorary mention to the following four writers who also got a vote for the shortlist from at least one of us:

  • The Colour of Echoes by Stephanie Hutton
  • The Incitement of Archie Rummage by Jane Lomas
  • The Moneyspinner by Alexandra McDermott
  • The Return by Angelita Bradney

Best of luck to our shortlist with the final round.