Jenny Brown Associates Debut Writers Over 50 Award in 2025

We are delighted to announce that we are again running the Jenny Brown Associates Debut Writers Over 50 Award in 2025.

This is the second Award, established to address the few literary opportunities which help older writers break into the publishing industry. The Award was first run in 2023 and won by Glennis Virgo, selected from over 1700 entries. Glennis Virgo’s debut novel City of Silk is published in November by Allison & Busby.

We want to celebrate the diversity of writers over the age of 50 and to value their collected, distilled wisdom, their lifetime of reading and experience. The vast majority of books are bought by older readers, a hugely important demographic, and increasingly they want to see themselves represented in books.

Debut novelists based in the UK are invited to submit the first 5000 words of their novel during the month of February 2025 – deadline February 28 – a shortlist will be announced on 27 July and the winner revealed during the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2025.

The winner will receive £1000 cash prize, and a week’s course at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre. Runners up will be offered tailored mentoring. Full details of the Award and how to enter can be found below.

How To Enter
Terms & Conditions
FAQs

NB we will be accepting submissions from 1 February. Please do not send before this date.

Key dates

  • 1-28 February: submissions.
  • 1-30 April: call in (if we want to see full manuscript).
  • 27 July: shortlist announcement.
  • 23 August: winner announced.

Submitting

  • This prize is open to unpublished and unrepresented debut novelists writing for adults aged 50 and above. UK residents only.
  • Please submit the first 5000 words of your debut novel (envisaged to be no less than 60 000 words) together with a one-page full synopsis and a page of information about yourself (inc. date of birth) and what inspired this work. Also give your date of payment fee and the name in which the payment has been made.
  • Entry fee is £10, payable via PayPal.
  • Please note, as we do not generally represent the following categories, we will not be considering science fiction, horror or fantasy.
  • All entries are via email, no hard copies will be considered. Please submit your work as a Word document clearly labelled i.e. Author/Title. Please do not send large files or images. All submissions should be 1.5 or double spaced.
  • Entry is via our email debut@jennybrownassociates.com, which will be acknowledged.
  • Submissions open on 1 February 2025 and close on 28 February 2025.

Calling in

  • If we want to see your full manuscript we will be in touch by 1 May and ask that you send it by 31 May. Note that you do not have to have entirely finished your work at the time of submission in February to be considered, but do have it ready in May in case it is called in.

Shortlisting & Award

  • The shortlist of up to six will be announced on 27 July 2025 and the winner announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August 2025.
  • The prize will consist of £1000 and a week’s residential course or retreat at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre for the winner, and mentoring sessions with experienced writers, editors, and agents as appropriate for the runners up on the shortlist.
  • Only those on the shortlist will receive written feedback.
  • This competition is organised by Jenny Brown Associates, 42 The Causeway, Edinburgh EH15 3PZ.
  • The debut novel award is open to all unpublished and unrepresented writers resident in the UK aged 50 and above.
  • Entrants must be unpublished fiction writers and entries must not have been published in any format (physical, eBook, audio) prior to entry. The exception to this is that if you have published short stories, non-fiction, poetry or children’s books as an unrepresented author it does not make you ineligible.
  • If you have self-published one or more novels you are ineligible.
  • Writers may only enter this Award once, with one novel.
  • The entry must be original, not involve another party, and must be in English, not a translation.
  • A full manuscript (envisaged to be no less than 60 000 words) has to be available if called in.
  • Submissions open on 1st February 2025 and closing date for entries is 28 February 2025. No entries received after 23.59 on 28 February 2025 will be accepted.
  • Entry is via our email debut@jennybrownassociates.com
  • A submission must be the entrant’s own original work. A submission must not, in whole or in part, be generated using artificial intelligence e.g. ChatGPT
  • Entries may not be altered after submission.
  • Please inform us immediately if you have submitted this work for another prize and been successful or have accepted representation elsewhere.
  • The prize is £1000, plus a week’s residential course or retreat at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre for the winner including reasonable travel expenses, runners-up will receive mentoring sessions with established writers, editors, or agents as appropriate.
  • By entering the competition you are agreeing to publicity associated with the prize.
  • The winner of the competition will be chosen by an experienced panel of established writers and publishers.
  • The entry instructions are part of the Terms and Conditions for this competition. By entering the competition you are agreeing to accept these Terms and Conditions. Any breach of these Terms and Conditions by you will mean that your entry will not be valid, and you will not be allowed to enter.
  • Any personal information you give us will be used solely for this competition and will not be passed on to any other parties without your agreement. Copyright in your work remains yours at all times, however Jenny Brown Associates may wish to use limited extracts on their website or online in promotion of the prize.
  • JBA reserves the right not to award a first prize and to reallocate the prize pool as they see fit. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

How do I submit my work?

Please send your work by email to debut@jennybrownassociates.com and include the following:

  • The first 5,000 words of your debut novel.
  • A one-page full synopsis.
  • One page of information about yourself, including your date of birth, contact details and what inspired this work. Note any private details will be deleted once the prize is awarded.
  • Date of payment of entry fee via PayPal.

What format should I use?

  • Please send your submission to us in a Microsoft Word. document, clearly labelled with Author/Title.
  • All submissions should be 1.5 or double spaced.
  • No hard copies and no large files/images, please.

When is the deadline?

We must have received your submission by 23:59 on Friday 28 February 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.

Can I send you a hard copy?

We are unable to consider hard copy submissions. Please submit your work as a Word document.

When will I know if I have been successful?

We will be in touch by 1 May 2025 if we wish to see the rest of your manuscript. The shortlist of up to six will be announced on 25 July 2025.

When will the winner be announced?

The winner will be announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 23 August 2025.

What is the prize?

The prize will consist of £1,000 and a week’s residential course or retreat at Moniack Mhor Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre for the winner and mentoring sessions with experienced writers, editors, and agents as appropriate for the runners-up on the shortlist.

Do I need to have finished my novel by the time I enter?

You do not have to have entirely finished your work to be considered, but do have it ready by 31 May 2025 in case it is called in and no less than 60 000 words plus a full outline will be considered.

My entry has not been acknowledged. What should I do?

Entries will be automatically acknowledged on receipt. Check your junk folder if there’s no email acknowledgement. If you still haven’t heard from us, send an email to debut@jennybrownassociates.com explaining your situation.

What’s the entry fee for?

The £10 entry fee covers the prize, readers’ fees and associated costs of running the Award.

Can I submit if I am nearly 50 years old?

The competition is open to anyone who is aged 50 on 28 February 2025 (i.e. if you were born on or before 28 February 1975).

I’ve written a short story. Can I enter that?

Submissions should be for novels that are no less than 60,000 words.

Can I submit a children’s story?

This competition is for novelists writing for adults.

What about a fantasy or science fiction novel?

As we do not generally represent the following categories, we will not be considering science fiction, horror or fantasy.

Can I submit my non-fiction work?

This competition is open to fiction writers only.

I’ve already got an agent but I’d like to move agencies. Can I still apply?

Sorry, this debut novel award is only open to unrepresented writers resident in the UK aged 50 and above.

Can I enter if I have self-published one of my novels?

This competition is for debut novelists and therefore not open to authors who have already self-published their work.

I put my novel on Amazon but no-one has bought it. Can I apply?

Entries must not have been published in any format (physical, eBook, audio) prior to entry. The exception to this is that if you have published short stories, non-fiction, poetry or children’s books as an unrepresented author it does not make you ineligible. If you have self-published one or more novels you are ineligible. If you are unclear, please contact info@jennybrownassociates.com for clarification.

Can I enter more than once?

Writers may only enter this Award once, with one novel.

I’ve collaborated with another author – am I still eligible?

No.

I’ve noticed a mistake/have a new draft. Can I re-submit?

Entries may not be altered after submission.

I’ve just noticed I didn’t send the information requested with my entry, can I add it now?

No. Please read the entry requirements carefully when you submit first time.

Can I submit a novel I have submitted for another prize if I was not successful, or longlisted or shortlisted?

Yes, you may submit your novel, and include information if you have been shortlisted or longlisted for other Awards. But please inform us immediately if you have submitted this work for another prize and been successful or have accepted representation elsewhere.

Who will judge the competition?

The winner of the competition will be chosen by an experienced panel.

Will I receive feedback?

We’re sorry but we cannot undertake general feedback only the shortlisted entries will receive a report.