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Hachette UK announces winner of 2024 New Voices award
Hachette UK’s The Future Bookshelf and Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, has announced the winner of the New Voices Award 2024. The open submissions competition intends to amplify the work of under-represented experts in the field of psychology within the UK.
Coping with Narcissistic Abuse: How to Use Trauma-focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Survive and Thrive by Dr Daksha Hirani has been named as the winning proposal from the shortlist.
The competition was aimed at submissions from those who identify with under-represented groups, including people of Black, Asian, mixed heritage and multiple ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities.
A shortlist was selected from all of the submissions and scored and discussed by a judging panel consisting of three publisher staff, Dr Evelyn Carter (winner of the New Voices Award 2023), literary agent Amandeep Singh (of The Good Literary Agency) and Dr Deborah Husbands, an expert psychologist from the University of Westminster.
On behalf of the judging panel, Little, Brown’s rights director, Jessica Purdue, said: “We unanimously felt that Dr Hirani’s proposal stood out as a clear winner. Coping With Narcissistic Abuse combines a timely, urgent subject, an engaging narrative, and clear, expert advice drawn from Daksha’s impressive research and credentials. It fills a gap in the market and will be a useful tool for many people.”
Dr Hirani is a clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of experience. After having specialised in neuro-rehabilitation, health psychology and general adult mental health, she has spent the past eight years specialising in recovery from narcissistic abuse.
Dr Hirani said: “I am thrilled and humbled in equal measure at being announced as the winner of this award. I am excited to share my work and have it benefit anyone who might find it helpful. Thank you Robinson for selecting me as the winner of your prestigious award.”
Dr Hirani will receive an introduction to a literary agent; feedback and guidance from Robinson’s editorial team on turning their proposal into a manuscript; and the offer of a publishing contract with Robinson with a minimum advance level of £5,000.
