Shortlist for inaugural Jericho Prize revealed

The shortlist has been revealed for the inaugural Jericho Prize for Children's Writing, a competition for unpublished and self-published Black British writers. 

Founded by former teacher and educational book editor Fabia Turner, the competition aims to find, develop, and showcase British writers of African or Caribbean descent who may have faced barriers to traditional publishing. This year's categories include best picture book manuscript for children four years and over, and best short chapter book manuscript for seven to nine-year-olds.

The shortlisted writers are Diane Ewen, Cabbi Charles and Seymour Lavine in the picture book category, while Abimbola Salami and Ellah Dinnall are in the running for the chapter book prize. 

Turner said: " We were delighted by the positive response to our new competition, which proves the real need for the Jericho Prize. Selecting the shortlists was incredibly difficult and I thank our brilliant team of experienced readers for taking the time to carefully assess all the scripts.

"Their constructive feedback will hopefully support and develop the writers who entered the competition. In the end, we chose joyful and uplifting stories, with authentic Black characters, that also showed each author’s innate passion for writing."

The shortlists will be judged by a panel featuring author and publisher at Hashtag Press Abiola Bello, author and book reviewer Rachael Davis,  author and editor at PRH Children’s Sara Jafari, founder of Formy Books Ebony Lyon, PRH Children's editorial director Joe Marriott, and ASH literary agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes. 

The winner of each category will be announced on 27th January 2022 in an online awards ceremony. Winners will each receive £500, funded by Knights Of. They will also be mentored by leading publishing professionals to develop their manuscripts to a high standard and gain publication down the line.

The prize is supported by Arts Council England and children’s publishers including Knights Of, Penguin Random House Children’s, and Alanna Max, in addition to YLG and Storymix.