Frank wins £2.5k Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction

Author Karys Frank has taken home the £2,500 Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction, a literary prize which celebrates crime and thriller storytelling by writers who are from, or whose work celebrates, the North East of England.

Frank’s story "Stone Cold Truth" was selected by the prize’s panel of judges, featuring crime writer Trevor Wood, BBC "Look North" presenter Carol Malia, founder of Newcastle Noir crime fiction festival Jacky Collins, and the author and founder of the prize, L J Ross.

"Stone Cold Truth" is described as "the story of a daughter who flees her mother’s suffocating love, only to run into her mother’s net from which she can’t escape". The judges praised the author for her "clever storytelling", "fantastic character development" and "terrific writing" in her submission exploring the relationship of a mother and daughter.

As the winner of the prize, Frank will receive a £2,500 cash prize to support the development of her work, alongside funding for membership of the Society of Authors (SoA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

Frank, whose stage and screen work has been seen at the National Theatre Studio, Liverpool Everyman and Southwark Playhouse is a wheelchair user, and says she enjoys writing about "underdogs, overdogs and all the mutts in the middle". Her work is inspired by all the places she has lived, including many addresses in and around Newcastle.

Commenting on winning the prize, Frank said: “I’m thankful to win this incredible prize after finding myself on a shortlist of such talent. I can’t wait to read the other shortlisted authors’ work. It’s fascinating to me that I didn’t set out to write a crime story, but I wanted to look at a person driven to criminality.

"Reading the generous comments from the judges is a surreal experience and I have to pinch myself to remember that they’re talking about my work. Huge thanks to L J Ross and the Lindisfarne Prize team for all their valued support.”

Now in its fifth year, the Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction was founded by Ross and is sponsored by her publishing imprint Dark Skies Publishing. The aim of the prize is not only to provide financial support, but to help build and maintain creative confidence for new, emerging and established writers in the crime and thriller genre.

Ross added: “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Karys Frank for winning the prestigious Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction in 2023. Karys’ exceptional storytelling talent and her unique exploration of the complex mother-daughter relationship in ’Stone Cold Truth’ truly captivated the judges.

"Her ability to shed light on contemporary themes with a surprising storyline is commendable. I look forward to witnessing her future literary achievements."