WELCOME TO THE MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZE 2021
Entries have now closed for this year.
Hachette UK’s Changing the Story diversity and inclusivity initiative has launched the Mo Siewcharran Prize for its second year to help discover unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian and Marginalised Ethnic backgrounds.
We’re delighted to announce the shortlist of the Mo Siewcharran Prize 2021
He Doesn’t Live Here Anymore by Santanu Bhattacharya
Jimmy the Food Thief by Rose Chen
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
Ndelei by Memuna Konteh
The Places We Will Go by Andres Ordorica
Bethnal Green by Amelie Skoda
Congratulations to all the shortlistees!
The longlist of the Mo Siewcharran Prize 2021
The Enigmas of Amy Wang by Anu Pohani
Bethnal Green by Amelie Skoda
Jimmy the Food Thief by Rose Chen
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
Colour of Rain by Joylene De Whyte
Flavours of Black by Leke Apena
He Doesn’t Live Here Anymore by Santanu Bhattacharya
Impressions by Jasmin Nahar
Ndelei by Memuna Konteh
Nowhere Girl by Hanako Footman
Savage Beasts by Rani Selvarajah
The Places We Will Go by Andres Ordorica
KEY DATES
23 April 2021 – Submissions open
23 May 2021 – Submissions close
15 July 2021 – Longlist announced
10 September 2021 – Shortlist announced
September 2021 – Winner announced
Submissions are now CLOSED until next year.
Please contact mosiewcharranprize@hachette.co.uk for any queries.
WHAT IS THE MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZE?
The initiative, named in memory of Nielsen Book’s former director of marketing and communications, aims to nurture talent from under-represented backgrounds writing in English. Run by Hachette UK’s Changing the Story diversity and inclusivity initiative, the prize was launched in 2019 and returns this year, following a break in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, the winner will receive the chance to be published by Little, Brown Book Group’s Little Brown and Abacus imprints.
ABOUT LITTLE, BROWN and ABACUS
Little, Brown is one of the oldest imprints within Hachette and has a reputation both for excellence and for major bestsellers. It is a literary list, but also one of the most commercially successful imprints in publishing, with authors including Donna Tartt, Celeste Ng, Jane Harper, Andrew Sean Greer, Alexander McCall Smith, Gregory David Roberts, You-Jeong Jeong, David Sedaris, Rupert Everett and the Booker-shortlisted Chigozie Obioma, Jane Gardam and Simon Mawer. Many of these authors are Sunday Times bestsellers who we have published from the start of their careers.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, Abacus is the paperback home of the authors published on the hardback Little, Brown imprint. It has one of the richest paperback lists in the industry, with authors including: Beryl Bainbridge, Iain Banks, Anita Shreve, Valerie Martin, Christopher Brookmyre, Christine Mangan and Tom Holland along with Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and Walter Isaacson’s global bestseller, Steve Jobs.
JUDGING AND PRIZES
Readers from Hachette’s THRIVE network will judge the initial round. The shortlist, runners-up and winner will be judged by the judging panel. The panel is made up of Executive Publisher, Clare Smith and Publisher, Richard Beswick from Little, Brown and Abacus, author and inaugural winner of the prize Sarvat Hasin, agent Sophie Lambert and co-chair of THRIVE Ebyan Egal.
The winner will receive £2,500 prize money plus the offer of a publishing deal, subject to contract, with Little, Brown and Abacus.
Second place will receive £1,500 alongside a book hamper.
Third place will receive £750 plus a hamper of books.
WHAT THE MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZE LOOKS FOR
A full-length novel for adults, that has not been published anywhere in the world by a publisher (or be under contract anywhere in the world for publication by a publisher) from writers who are aged 18 or over, resident in the UK and from a Black, Asian and Marginalised Ethnic background.
We look for compelling, unique and relatable novels that tell us something about the world we live in and the breadth of human experiences. We love engaging narratives, compelling characters and developed themes.
We are open to all adult literary fiction genres, but will not accept sci-fi, fantasy, poetry, short story collections, non-fiction or books for young adults.