CELEBRATING LITERARY TRIUMPHS

PAST WINNERS

Discover the inspiring journeys of writers who have transformed their dreams into reality.

Showcasing Published Works

Book Covers of Our Competition Winners and Runner Ups

Success Stories

Lucy Steeds

Lucy is a graduate of the Faber Academy and the London Library Emerging Writers Programme.She was longlisted for the First Novel Award in 2023. Lucy was selected as one of The Bookseller’s four most promising debut novelists of 2025 and her debut novel The Artist was longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2025. She is represented by Eleanor Birne at RCW Literary Agency.

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The Artist by Lucy Steeds UK cover

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The Artist by Lucy Steeds, Australian / New Zealand Cover

Lucy Steeds, longlisted for the First Novel Award 2023

Emma Cowing

Emma has written for a wide number of publications including The Sunday Times, The Scottish Daily Mail, Guardian Weekend Magazine, Scotland on Sunday and The Scotsman. She was shortlisted for the 2023 Cheshire Novel Prize, and longlisted for the 2023 Bath Novel Award and Blue Pencil First Novel Award. Her debut novel The Show Woman will be published May 1st 2025.

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The Show Woman by Emma Cowing

Claire Williams

Claire was a 2023 Pitch Prize winner and she went on to secure representation with that year’s Pitch Prize judge Millie Hoskins from United Agents. Her writing has also been shortlisted for the Sid Chaplin Award, the London Independent Story Prize and the Cheshire Novel Prize, as well as published in the 2023 Mslexia’s best women’s short fiction anthology.

Caroline Madden

Caroline has been writing for The Irish Times since 2005. She currently writes the Irish Times Home from Home series of author interviews. In 2022, she was longlisted for the First Novel Award. Her debut novel The Marriage Vendetta is set to be released in 2025. She is represented by Kesia Lupo of The Bindery Agency.

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The Marriage Vendetta UK cover by Caroline Madden

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The Marriage Vendetta US cover by Caroline Madden

Julia Kelly

Julia Kelly has been longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize, the Exeter Novel Prize, PenguinWriteNow, and the Bath Novel Award. In 2021 she won the Blue Pencil First Novel Award and signed with that year’s competition judge, Hellie Ogden. In 2024, she signed a six-figure publishing deal for her debut novel The Fisherman’s Gift.

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The Fisherman's Gift by Julia Kelly

Amy Twigg

Amy studied creative writing at university and then worked as a freelance copywriter. Her debut novel Spoilt Creatures won the BPA Pitch Prize in 2021 and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition and Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award. Amy was selected as an Observer ‘Best New Novelist’ of the year in 2024. She is represented by Charlotte Seymour at Johnson & Alcock.

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Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg

Róisín Lanigan

Róisín is an editor and writer based in London and Belfast. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian and The Fence, amongst other publications. She was longlisted for the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize in 2019, and won the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award in 2020. I Want to Go Home But I’m Already There is her first novel. She is represented by Kat Aitken at Lexington Literary.

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I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There by Róisín Lanigan

Róisín Lanigan, Winner of the Blue Pencil Agency's 2020 First Novel Award

Santanu Bhattacharya

Santanu grew up in India and studied at the University of Oxford and the National University of Singapore. He is the winner of the 2021 Mo Siewcharran Prize, Life Writing Prize and London Writers’ Awards. He was longlisted for the 2020 First Novel Award. His debut novel One Small Voice was an Observer best debut novel for 2023. His second novel Deviants was released in February 2025. He is represented by Jessica Woollard at David Higham Associates.

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Deviants by Santanu Bhattacharya

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One Small Voice by Santanu Bhattacharya

Neil Daws

Neil achieved Highly Commended in the Blue Pencil Agency’s First Novel Award in 2019 where he met his agent, Nelle Andrew of Rachel Mills Literary agency. He has written three novels in the Kember & Hayes historical crime series: A Quiet Place To Kill (2021), A Silent Way To Die (2022) and A Perfect Time to Murder (2023). His latest cosy crime novel Murder at the Palace was published by Orion Fiction in 2025 and will be followed by Murder at the Tower (2026).

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Murder at the Palace by N. R Daws

Neil Daws, Highly Commended in the Blue Pencil Agency’s 2019 First Novel Award

Gráinne Murphy

A winner of the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair 2019, Gráinne’s novels have been shortlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award 2019 and Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award 2019 and longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2018 and Mslexia Novel Award 2017. Her short stories have appeared in the Fish Anthology 2020, RiPPLE Anthology 2017 and Nivalis 2015. Gráinne’s debut novel Where the Edge Is was published in 2020, The Ghostlights in 2021, Winter People in 2022 and Greener in 2024, all by Legend Press.

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Greener by Gráinne Murphy

Christina Sweeney-Baird

Christina Sweeney-Baird was a corporate litigation lawyer before becoming a full time author and screenwriter. She was longlisted for the 2019 First Novel Award. She is represented by Curtis Brown literary agent Felicity Blunt. Her debut novel The End of Men was published by Borough Press in April 2021.

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End of Men Hardback by Christina Sweeney-Baird

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The End of Men Paperback by Christina Sweeney-Baird

Christina Sweeney-Baird, longlisted for the 2019 First Novel Award<br />

Jules Lampshire

Jules is a psychologist and psychotherapist by profession, which explains why she writes psychological suspense novels. In 2017 she attended the Faber Academy and in 2018 she won the BPA First Novel Award. She has published two novels under the penname Julia Stone: Her Little Secret in 2021 and The Accident in 2022, both by Orion Dash. The Accident was selected as The Crime Readers Association Recommended Read of the Month in December 2022.

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Her Little Secret by Julia Stone

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The Accident by Julia Stone

Mandy Robotham

Mandy is a journalist turned midwife turned writer. She was the 2018 First Novel Award Runner Up. She is represented by Broo Doherty of the DHH Literary Agency. She has published at least six novels under her own name and two novels under the penname M. J. Robotham.

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A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham

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Mrs Spy by M. J. Robotham

Mandy Robotham, First Novel Award 218 Runner Up

Carolyn Kirby

Carolyn’s debut novel The Conviction of Cora Burns was longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award and shortlisted for the Specsavers Debut Crime Fiction Award. When We Fall was chosen by The Times as one of the best novels of 2020. Her novel Ravenglass will be published by Northodox Press in September 2025. Carolyn won the 2017 First Novel Award.

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The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby

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Ravenglass by Carolyn Kirby

Explore Our Writing Competitions

{"Entering the Pitch Prize has proven to be a wonderful experience. Not only did winning it give me a much-needed morale boost, but Blue Pencil Agency’s continued support and an introduction by Emma Haynes eventually led to me signing with my wonderful agent, Charlotte Seymour of Johnson & Alcock. To anyone unsure of entering: bet on yourself and your writing, and know that you will be in a safe pair of hands with the Blue Pencil Agency team."

Amy Twigg

Pitch Prize 2021 winner & longlisted for the First Novel Award 2022. Debut novel, Spoilt Creatures.

{“Winning the Award marked a real breakthrough in my writing life. The slightly overwhelming news that I had won first prize (I found myself shaking uncontrollably!) was followed by an exciting week involving a London photo-shoot with the judges, and the sight of my face in The Bookseller. The lovely Blue Pencil Agency team gave me the chance to meet the judges and to talk about my novel in some depth with agent Eve White. This was a fantastic opportunity and one that is rare in the writing prize world. Winning the Blue Pencil Agency competition gave me confidence that my novel is a good one and this, I would say, is the most valuable reward an aspiring writer can get.”

Carolyn Kirby

Winner of the 2017 First Novel Award. She is represented by agent Andrew Lownie.

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"Entering the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award has taken my writing life to a higher level. Self-doubt had stopped me before but just submitting something I thought had potential gave me satisfaction. The excitement of reaching the long list was only tempered by the discipline of the next deadline but then surpassed by the thrill of seeing my name on the short list and finally achieving Highly Commended. I was astounded to hear that agent Nelle Andrew wanted to meet me and elated to then sign with Nelle and begin editing my debut novel. Without the fantastic opportunity the Award offered I would not be on course to achieve my dream so everyone at Blue Pencil has my gratitude."

Neil Daws

Neil was Highly Commended and shortlisted for the 2019 Award. He is represented by Nelle Andrew of Peters, Fraser + Dunlop

{I submitted my entry to the BPA First Novel Award in February, thinking...why not? Never did I imagine that seven months later, I would receive a call from Emma Haynes, telling me that I was the winner. I'm thrilled that the judges enjoyed my story, and I'm super excited to be represented by Rowan Lawton at The Soho Agency. Thank you BPA for giving unpublished writers like me (who might have been querying agents unsuccessfully for years), this incredible opportunity to expose our work. Winning this contest has brought me one step closer to my dream of having my novel, White Yams published internationally. I couldn't be more grateful!

Tracy Coker

First Novel Award 2022 Winner

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I'm delighted to announce that I’m now represented by Katie Fulford of Bell Lomax. She is my dream agent. Also thank you so much for the manuscript review from BPA editor Frances Merivale. It was amazing – detailed and well thought out. Thank you so much for the kickstart and for the support from Emma and the BPA team.

Karen Pierce

2022 First Novel Award Runner-Up

{The 1-2-1 session with Hattie Grünewald as a result of winning the BPA Pitch Prize was invaluable. She offered real insight into the pitching process, as well as astute, detailed feedback on my synopsis. The whole experience gave me the confidence to submit my work to twelve other agents, eight of whom requested the full manuscript. I am delighted to say I have signed with Alexander Cochrane at C&W Agency. I honestly don't think I would have had the courage without the accolade and experience under my belt. Thank you BPA!

Letty Butler

2022 Pitch Prize Winner

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I remember clearly wondering whether to send my manuscript to the Blue Pencil Award, and if it was ready. I am so glad I did - seeing my name on first the longlist, and then the short list was an incredible feeling. It was encouragement and validation, however subjective we all know it is, for something undertaken in isolation and often uncertainty. Winning it was a game-changer for me. The team at BPA seemed almost as excited as I was! Hellie Ogden offered me representation and I am now working with her as my wonderful agent on what I hope will become my debut novel. It is quite literally a dream come true.

Julia Kelly

Winner of the 2021 First Novel Award for The Lost Child. She is represented by Hellie Ogden.

{When I entered the BPA Pitch Prize I was in the middle of querying another novel and had written just 10,000 words of the speculative novel which would ultimately win the prize and go on to receive an offer of representation from Millie Hoskins at United Agents. Winning the BPA pitch prize gave me such a boost and with feedback from Millie, I set to work on drafting the full novel in just under six months. The characters and storyline captured my heart straight away and Millie was the dream agent to sign with. I would say to any writer, keep going. Keep honing your craft. I’ve invested a lot in my writing journey, from courses to mentoring to entering prizes, all have led me here and hopefully beyond. As for the pitch itself, a good hook will get you far, as will a sharp sentence that gets right to the heart of the story. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest benefits of the BPA Pitch Prize is to see if your story has enough potential before you fully invest in it. As a writer with five manuscripts in a drawer I really needed that!

Claire Williams

2022 Pitch Prize Winner