£70,000 Libraro Prize launches in partnership with Hachette UK to discover emerging literary talent and standout stories
The reader-led Prize aims to break down the barriers of the traditional publishing process:
New competition to discover the next big English language fiction author from community-driven platform, Libraro;
Winning author will receive a £50,000 prize package from Libraro and book deal with Hachette UK;
Two readers will also be selected for the Reader Referral and Reader Engagement Prizes (£10,000 per prize).
Libraro, a community-driven digital platform which aims to remove barriers from the traditional book publishing process, has today launched The Libraro Prize: an international award worth £70,000 for adult and crossover YA fiction written in English.
Offering a new way for writers to share their work and to be discovered, The Libraro Prize – run in partnership with leading international publisher, Hachette UK, and book recommendation platform LoveReading – is unique in giving readers an active role in deciding what gets published. Writers upload their full manuscripts to the platform and readers champion their favourite submissions to form a shortlist of six.
The winner package includes £50,000 from Libraro, and a book deal with Hachette UK. Meanwhile, two Reader Prizes worth £10,000 will be also awarded: one for the reader who refers the winning author to the platform, and the other for the reader who engages most actively with the writers’ submissions.
Also announced today are some of the judges who will select the overall winner, including: Elly Griffiths (bestselling Quercus author), Deborah Maclaren (Managing Director of LoveReading), and Zubs J. Malik (book blogger at @zubscovered). Tasked with reading the six shortlisted manuscripts, these industry professionals will be looking for fresh new voices and genre-defying fiction with the potential to become the next big bestseller.
The competition is open to all entrants aged 18 or over, worldwide, regardless of previous publishing history or professional representation. This approach reflects Libraro’s mission to democratise publishing, offering writers a new way to showcase their work and build their confidence while increasing their publishing prospects within an inclusive and innovative environment.
Entrants will have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from readers, whilst shortlisted authors will be offered professional support to help them package and format their submission before their work is shared with the final judges: putting them in the strongest possible position to approach publishers and agents, even if they don’t win.
Entries to The Libraro Prize open on Monday 19th January 2026, when the Reader Referral Prize will also commence. Both Prizes will close on Sunday 15th February 2026 (Midnight GMT).
Readers will be able to engage with, and champion, their favourite entries from Thursday 19th February until Friday 20th March 2026.
The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 21st April 2026, with the overall winner announced on Wednesday 13th May 2026.
David Roche, Chairman at Libraro, said:
“The Libraro Prize was created to sidestep the traditional barricades of the book industry and put power in the hands of writers and readers. By partnering with Hachette UK, we’re combining the reach and expertise of a world-class publisher with a genuinely democratic, reader-led discovery process. We are excited to embark on this journey and uncover a new voice and ground-breaking bestseller.”
Ant Simnica, Digital Operations Director at Hachette UK, said:
“Discovering and nurturing new writing talent sits at the heart of what we do at Hachette UK. We’re proud to partner with Libraro on a prize that widens access to opportunity, as part of our commitment to Changing the Story, and to help ensure that exceptional new manuscripts find the readership – and the publishing support – they deserve.”
In addition to its partnerships with Hachette UK and LoveReading, The Libraro Prize is supported by a range of organisations that share its aims to democratise reading and writing, and to recognise the importance of building community and connection. They are: Exiled Writers Ink, Frontline, Club, London Writers’ Salon, NAWE, New Writing North, Pen to Print, The Reading Agency, Writers & Artists and Writing West Midlands.
For more information about The Libraro Prize and further details on how to enter please visit the Libraro website here.
For more information, please contact Niamh Houston or Jules Barretto at Riot Communications: niamh@riotcommunications.com / jules@riotcommunications.com
About Libraro:
Libraro was founded by CEO Arsim Shillova, a GTM specialist with over 20 years’ experience building and scaling software and platform-led businesses, including work with global organisations such as Airbus, Sony, and Bloomberg. Driven by personal experience of the friction and opacity facing talented writers, Shillova founded Libraro to give authors fair visibility, protect their intellectual property, and create a calmer, more transparent bridge between undiscovered writing talent and the global publishing industry.
A community-driven platform connecting writers, readers and publishers in a secure, data-driven environment. Libraro’s patented IP protection allows writers to share their stories securely, and invites readers to champion new voices and influence what gets published. Through these insights, industry professionals will discover tomorrow’s bestsellers and minimise the risk of backing something new. www.libraro.com
David Roche, Libraro Chairman, is Non-Exec Chair of London Book Fair, an ambassador for PEN International, and runs Grey Area Coaching. He has 30 years’ board experience as CEO and Director of Borders & BOOKS etc, Waterstones, HMV and HarperCollins Publishing. He was President of the Booksellers Association of UK & Ireland, Chair of publishing news service BookBrunch, interim Chair of BookTrust, and Chair of the Newcastle-based writing agency, New Writing North. David has also been a literary agent and had two books of his own published.
About Hachette UK:
Hachette UK’ s mission to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment and opportunity.
The UK’s second largest publishing group, Hachette UK has 10 autonomous divisions and over 50 imprints with a rich and diverse history. It is the market leader in e-books and publishes a range of bestsellers in audio format, the fastest growing part of its business.
It publishes thousands of new books across the group every year and its authors include Rebecca Yarros, Stephen King, Alice Oseman, John Grisham, Adam Kay, Val McDermid, David Nicholls, J.K. Rowling, Ian Rankin, and Malala Yousafzai.
Its award-winning adult publishing divisions are Little, Brown, Orion, John Murray Press, Hodder & Stoughton, Headline, Bookouture and Octopus. Hachette Children’s Group publishes a diverse range of books for children of all ages and Hachette Learning is a market leader in high-quality educational materials and services. In 2022, the company welcomed Paperblanks, the second-largest premium stationery brand in the world, to the group.
Hachette UK has eight offices around the UK, including its headquarters in London and the Hely Hutchinson Centre (HHC) for distribution in Didcot. It has subsidiaries in several other regions, including Australia, India, Ireland, Jamaica and New Zealand.
About LoveReading:
LoveReading is the UK’s leading book recommendation and discovery platform, known for championing reading at every stage of life: from early literacy to lifelong engagement. Its trusted reviews, curated lists and active community of readers play a vital role in expanding visibility for books and building meaningful connections between people and stories. www.lovereading.co.uk
