Hodder launches one-off prize to mark 25 years of publishing Gayle

Hodder & Stoughton and the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) have partnered to launch a one-off £2,500 prize entitled Love at First Line in celebration of 25 years of Hodder publishing Mike Gayle.

The award, which aims to champion love stories and discover new voices in commercial fiction, will be open to writers from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds who want to write, or are already writing, fiction with a romantic theme. Those who are over 18, living in the UK and currently unpublished are welcome to enter.

Those who identify as belonging to an underrepresented group in the romance genre are also encouraged to get in touch to receive a free writing resource to assist with their writing journey.

The winner will receive a cash prize of £2,500 and a 45-minute virtual feedback session with Gayle to discuss their writing. In addition, they will get four one hour virtual mentoring sessions with a commissioning editor from Hodder & Stoughton and entry onto the RNA New Writers Scheme, currently worth £195.

Three runners-up will receive vouchers for RNA writing courses, a bundle of romantic fiction novels published by Hodder & Stoughton, and a 500 word written critique on their entry from a member of the judging panel.

Submissions for the Love at First Line prize will open on 22nd June 2023 and close on 1st October 2023. During this period, writers are invited to submit the first 5,000 words of their novel, as well as a synopsis of up to 500 words. Submissions can be made here.

The judging panel will comprise of Gayle, who this year celebrates 25 years of publishing, which he discussed in a recent interview with The Bookseller, Ariella Feiner of United Agents, Nick Sayers, publisher at Hodder Fiction, Jean Fullerton, chair of the RNA and Leah Davies, host of the CapitalXTRA Book Club.

Gayle said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be involved in this prize along with the RNA. We’re both passionate about broadening the appeal of stories with love at their centre and encouraging new voices to tell them."

Fullerton said: “Romantic fiction is absolutely booming, and we’re so proud to celebrate the power of love stories to reflect our own lives, help us escape them, break our hearts or put them back together. The Romantic Novelists’ Association is delighted to be joining with Hodder Fiction to discover more diverse literary voices.”

For Sayers, “writing about relationships is the bedrock of fiction.” “People want to read about them and it is important that good authors tell these stories. I’m delighted to be a judge for this prize, which is designed to encourage writers to begin, or continue, their journey towards publication, with stories that will reach the widest range of readers,” he said.

Feiner commented: “So many readers are turning increasingly to love stories, which tell us so much about the human experience. It’s crucial that we as a publishing industry are encouraging writers from as diverse a background as possible to share these tales. I am therefore delighted to be working with the RNA as a judge on this prize and look forward to seeing the entries flood in.”