Hotkey Books Young Writers Competition Announcement

Hi all! Nayu here - thought you'd like to know about this awesome opportunity! The details below are from the press release email I received.

HOT KEY BOOKS YOUNG WRITERS PRIZE RETURNS FOR A SECOND YEAR

Hot Key Books is delighted to announce its Young Writers Prize – that searches for unpublished young writing talent for children from around the world - will return for a second year. Sharing a commitment to supporting authors, we are pleased to be joined by Kobo, a global leader in eReading, to honour this year’s winners and make their work available at www.kobo.com.

The Prize looks to uncover new writing talent between the ages of 18 and 25, who submit their work in either of two categories: 9-12 and young adult (for ages 13-19). Last year saw over 350 entries from writers all over the world with two winners scooping the chance to be published by Hot Key Books. Their novels, The Rig by Joe Ducie and Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle are to be released in print and digital formats this September.

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges, including Director of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas, Guardian Children’s Books Editor Julia Eccleshare, Kobo’s Merchandiser of Children's Books Antonia Fowler, Hot Key Books Publisher Emily Thomas, authors Fleur Hitchcock and Matt Whyman, bookseller Katie Clapham from Storytellers, Inc. and bloggers from Serendipity Reviews and We Sat Down along with consultation with school children from Globe School, London and St John’s School in Buckinghamshire.

Each winner will be given editorial support, the chance to be published by Hot Key Books with a £10,000 advance and ten shortlisted finalists will also be given a Kobo eReader. Winners will also benefit from added exposure via Kobo’s eBookstore (www.kobo.com) and all entrants will have the opportunity to publish their work through the company’s self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life. Through Kobo, the winners will have an opportunity to be promoted to a community of 14.5million readers from 190 countries around the world. 

Submissions of partial manuscripts will open on 20^th June and close on 22nd July, with a second stage of full manuscripts in November 2013. The winners will be announced at London Book Fair 2014. Full terms and conditions and the entry form are available on www.youngwritersprize.com

Sarah Odedina, Managing Director of Hot Key Books says: “We're delighted to be running our Young Writers Prize for the second year. It is imperative for the publishing business, and our readers, that we are constantly looking for new talent and what better way to do that than to encourage first time authors. Working with Kobo on the prize this year also indicates our absolute commitment to publish in all formats so readers can access fantastic storytelling however and wherever they choose to.”

 

 

About Hot Key Books

Hot Key Books, part of Bonnier Publishing, is a top quality, strongly commercial and diverse fiction list for children and young people aged 9-19 years old, publishing both traditionally and digitally. Publishing since August 2012, our books have already been widely critically reviewed and our third book MAGGOT MOON by Sally Gardner won the 2012 Costa Children’s Book Award and the 2013 CILIP Carnegie Medal.

The company name derives from the power of stories to open doors and feed the imagination of readers. Hot Key Books seeks to unlock the power of reading, a love of books and a joy of stories for readers of all ages. It also reflects the digital age in which we now live through its association with 'hot key' commands – the short cut command on a keyboard.

About Bonnier Publishing

Bonnier Publishing is one of the fastest growing publishers based in the UK, with offices in Australia and France and 250 employees worldwide. It is owned by Bonnier Books, which is a top 20-world publisher with a turnover of £600m. Bonnier Publishing is primarily the English language arm of Bonnier Books and it owns children’s publishers Templar Publishing, Autumn Publishing, The Five Mile Press, Piccolia, Weldon Owen Publishing UK, Hot Key Books and newly launched non-fiction publisher Red Lemon Press. 

Bonnier Publishing was named a Top 5 Climber in The Bookseller’s Independent Children’s Publisher list in 2011 and Bonnier Publishing CEO, Richard Johnson, was named one of the top 100 influential people in publishing by The Bookseller in 2012.