Spread the Word is excited to reveal the judges for the London Writers Awards 2025. The fifth year of the highly successful writer development programme will run from February 2025 to November 2025 for 24 writers of commercial, literary, and YA/children’s fiction. Applications are open from 25 September to 31 October 2024. Spread the Word’s Bobby Nayyar and Ruth Harrison are running a free online seminar on 1 October at 7pm for potential applicants.
The 2025 Awards will be judged by author judges: Nilesha Chauvet, Oisín McKenna, Jyoti Patel and Tọlá Okogwu. The industry judges are: Cara Lee Simpson (Susanna Lea Associates), Emma Leong (Janklow and Nesbit), Lorna Hemingway (Bell Lomax Moreton) and Oli Munson (AM Heath).
Commercial Fiction Judges
Nilesha Chauvet is a British Indian novelist and short story writer. Her debut novel, The Revenge of Rita Marsh, was published by Faber as a crime thriller super lead title in July 2024. Nilesha writes zeitgeist psychological suspense, crime, and thriller. She is also the Managing Director of GOOD which advises commercial brands on Purpose, and helps charities raise millions of pounds for good causes. An alumna of London Writers Awards 2021, Nilesha also studied creative writing at City Lit and is a graduate of Faber Academy. She read Philosophy & Theology at Oxford and is an ordained Interfaith Minister. Nilesha is represented by Nelle Andrew at Rachel Mills Literary.
Nilesha says:
“If you have a story to tell, you ought to feel empowered to tell it. The London Writers Awards is an unrivalled opportunity for the most exciting writers from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds, to gain access into publishing where, all too often, the doors feel like they’re closed. You don’t need to be fully formed. It’s raw potential that counts. If you’ve the creative spark, plus energy and commitment to make it to ‘The End’, I can tell you, from first-hand experience, this programme is life changing. Currently, 50 writers have been agented because of London Writers Awards’s considered development, leading to 35 book deals. The results speak volumes. Forget box-ticking, quotas, glass-ceilings. The blah, blah and over-promise of diversity initiatives. Talk is cheap. This is the real deal.”
Oli Munson is a director at A M Heath. His award-winning list includes commercial fiction across all genres with a particular focus on crime, thrillers and speculative fiction.
Oli says: “With a track record of successfully launching the careers of under-represented authors, the London Writers Awards have quickly established themselves as a marker of quality. Combining accessibility and continued support for writers who may have not had the advantages and opportunities afforded to others, the Awards occupy a unique place in the publishing ecosystem. They are a bellwether for exciting new voices and I am very excited to start reading.”
Literary Fiction Judges
Jyoti Patel is a British Indian author living in London. An extract of her debut novel The Things That We Lost was chosen as the winning submission for the 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize, selected from over 2,000 entries. Jyoti is a graduate of the University of East Anglia’s Creative Writing Prose Fiction MA and was selected as one of The Observer’s 10 Best New Novelists for 2023. Her writing has previously been published as part of We Present’s ‘Literally’ series and in the anthology for the 2022 Bristol Short Story Prize, for which she was shortlisted.
Jyoti says: “This is an exciting, necessary programme offering writers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a supportive environment where they can hone their craft. The programme is a brilliant way for underrepresented writers to access tailored mentorship and learn about the workings of the industry from experts. As someone who had dreams to be an author, but could never see a way in, I’m so proud to be part of such a vital and groundbreaking programme that is working to bolster change and provide much-needed pathways into the industry.”
Oisín McKenna grew up in Drogheda, Ireland, and lives in London. His novel Evenings and Weekends, described by both Dazed and The Evening Standard as ‘the book of the summer’, was published in 2024 by 4th Estate (UK) and Mariner Books (US). He was awarded the Next Generation Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to write Evenings and Weekends and it was developed with further support from Arts Council England. In 2022, he was awarded a London Writers Award, and in 2017, he was named in the Irish Times as one of the best spoken word artists in the country. He has written and performed four theatre shows, including ADMIN, an award-winning production at Dublin Fringe 2019, and his writing has appeared in GQ, the Evening Standard, the Irish Times, Banshee, and more.
Oisín says: “As an alumni of the London Writers Awards programme, I can say with certainty that it’s a career-changing experience. One of the most transformative things it can do for participants is that it helps to make a life and career in writing imaginable and tangible, where before it may have felt remote, nebulous, and difficult to reach. It gives participants permission to handle their own work with confidence and seriousness, trusting in its quality and capacity to take a place within the wider publishing landscape. The friendships I made with other writers on the programme continue to be a cherished part of my life and much needed sources of support and community. I can’t wait to read this year’s submissions.”
Emma Leong is a Literary Agent, representing both fiction and non-fiction. Her publishing career started here at Janklow and Nesbit in 2019, having studied Law and Psychology. She is editorially focused, representing new writers and keen to build and nurture international careers for them, working very closely with the New York office and Translation Rights team. Her clients include Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Christina Carè, Rupert Dastur, Olivia Petter, and on behalf of the US office, Erica Berry, Aisha Muharrar, Dawnie Walton, Katherine Min, to name a few. She lives in London.
Emma says: “I am deeply honoured to be part of the London Writers Award this year, and delighted to hear that the London Writers Awards is back in business! I am a huge admirer of this award and its contributions to expanding and demystifying our literary world; seeing the real, long-term effect and support it brings to aspiring writers underrepresented in publishing. I strongly encourage you all to apply, and I look forward to reading this year’s submissions and meeting the new cohort.”
Cara Lee Simpson is an agent at Susanna Lea Associates where she represents literary and general fiction with wide appeal and prize-winning potential. She has degrees from the London School of Economics and King’s College London. Her clients have been International No. 1 bestsellers and won prizes including ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, The Ngaio Marsh Awards, and The Polari Prize, and have featured on a range of shortlists. She is developing a curated list of career authors and loves to work with those early on in their writing process.
Cara says: “I’ve been following the London Writers Awards since its inception in 2018 and I’m very lucky to represent some of its recipients. The programme is known for the high calibre of its winners and work helping writers marginalised by mainstream publishing successfully get their voices out there. Writing from all backgrounds and walks of life should be celebrated and included in what we publish and, most importantly, be judged on its own merit and not limited to the kinds of stories and themes white middle class publishing may still expect of these writers. The London Writers Awards have successfully paved the way for this and made a real difference. It’s a privilege to be part of the judging process this year, and I can’t wait to see what new writers will be discovered.”
YA/Children’s Fiction Judges
Tọlá Okogwu is an award-winning and bestselling author. She studied Journalism and spent some years exploring the world of blogging, haircare and freelance writing before returning to her first love…fiction. Tọlá’s debut novel, Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun was shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book Awards and The Week Junior Book Awards as well as longlisted for The Jhalak Prize, whilst her 2024 World Book Day title, Onyeka and the Secret Superhero, was a UK top ten Bestseller. Tọlá’s originally self-published picture book series, Daddy Do My Hair is a firm family favourite and she also writes under the pen name, Lola Morayo, with five books in the Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door series, published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Tọlá says: “My writing break came as a result of an initiative with similar aims as the London Writers Awards, so I know first-hand how life changing it can be. It’s all about access and London Writers Awards provides that, as well as valuable support and the opportunity to hone your craft. Writing can also be a very lonely and isolating endeavour, so the opportunity London Writers Awards provides to build relationships is incredibly useful. I’m so thrilled to be a judge this year and very excited to discover the new talent out there.”
After graduating from the University of Exeter with a degree in English Literature, Lorna Hemingway (she/her) completed her MA in Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, where she was personally mentored by Michael Rosen. Lorna joined Bell Lomax Moreton in 2019 and is now building her own list and is searching for picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA.
Lorna says: “When embarking on your journey into the world of writing, it can often seem impossible. Impossible to get words down on that daunting blank page. Impossible to carve your way through a huge edit. Impossible to then find and an agent or a publisher that understands and appreciates your vision. This is the case for every single writer as they make those first few steps into becoming an author, however, for those from marginalised backgrounds that sense of impossibility not only feels greater but also never ending. This is due to continuously being undervalued and underappreciated for their stories and their voices and the respective greatness in both of these. Spread the Word offer the light at the end of this ‘Tunnel of Impossibility’. This initiative bolsters writers and helps to get their writing to those who can help. I am over the moon to be the judge for this year’s competition, and I cannot wait to help as much as possible as well as discover some incredible voices.”
Applications will be open from midday on Wednesday 25 September and close at 5pm on Thursday 31 October. The London Writers Awards application pack, which includes Eligibility Criteria, Terms & Conditions and FAQs will be available online from 23 September 2024 in text, BSL video, audio and inclusive read formats. Click here for updates.
Published: 11 September 2024