We are delighted to announce the BPA First Novel Award 2025 Shortlist.
This year’s judges, literary agents Hellie Ogden and Suzannah Ball from the WME Books agency and author Samuel Burr, had the challenging task of selecting just five titles from an exceptional longlist of 24. We’re thrilled by their choices and look forward to reading a further 15,000 words from each shortlisted manuscript.
The winning author will receive £1,000 and introductions to our agent judges. The runner-up and one commended entrant will be awarded £500 and £150 respectively, along with agent introductions.
The 2025 shortlist spans a variety of genres, including family drama, psychological thriller, book club fiction, women’s fiction, and historical fiction. While the genres vary, common threads emerge: this year’s shortlist is rich with young protagonists and coming-of-age narratives. Three of the five are set in Scotland—on the campus of Edinburgh University, the slopes of Schiehallion, and a leafy Glasgow neighbourhood—while the others take readers to Norway’s snowy lakes and to the witch-hunting trials of 17th-century Lancashire.
Congratulations to the authors of this year’s five standout titles:
All Is Well
The Eloquence of Hopelessness
The Hollow Mountain
The Norwegian Girls
Wicked & Damnable Practices
We’d also like to acknowledge and congratulate the longlisted authors who were not selected for the shortlist. Reaching the longlist is a significant achievement, particularly given the volume and calibre of submissions this year. Longlist recognition is often noted by literary agents, and we hope this milestone will prove to be an encouraging step forward in each writer’s journey.
Don’t forget — our summer discount and special report offers are running through to September 30th:
🔹 £50 off all full manuscript assessments (Silver, Gold, or Platinum);
🔹 A report on your submission package — including your opening 5,000 words, cover letter, and synopsis — for £190;
🔹 An opening extract report (5,000 words) for just £140.
To book, simply email us at info@bluepencilagency.com with your materials and let us know your intended genre!