Women's Prize launches crowdfunder for inspiration journal

The Women’s Prize for Fiction is launching a crowdfunding campaign with publisher Unbound, in honour of its 25th anniversary, to create The Women’s Prize for Fiction Journal: Celebrating 25 years of #ReadingWomen.

Described as "part notebook, part keepsake souvenir", it is hoped the journal will "encourage and inspire the next generation of female writers to pick up a pen and start their own project", as well as acting as a compendium celebrating the Prize’s history.

Included in the journal will be bespoke illustrations, extracts and inspirational quotes as well as a foreword by novelist and Women’s Prize for Fiction founder director Kate Mosse. It will also spotlight the Prize’s past winners and provide writing tips and space for aspiring writers’ own notes and musings.

Those who subscribe to purchase a first edition copy will also be offered a range of "add-on rewards", such as creative writing feedback sessions, membership to AllBright digital, and limited-edition Women’s Prize merchandise.

The crowdfunding page is now live, and those interested have a month to make a pledge. (As further incentive, the discount code PRIZE10 allows early subscribers to get 10% off any pledge up to the value of £100 until midnight on 31st July.)

The journal will be published in April 2021.
 
Kate Mosse, novelist and founder director of Women’s Prize for Fiction, said: "Having founded the Women’s Prize for Fiction over a quarter of a century ago, we wanted to create something special to commemorate this landmark anniversary.
 
"For 25 years, the WPFF has honoured, celebrated and championed women writers from all over the world. The Women’s Prize for Fiction Journal will not only serve as a beautiful compendium of our history, but also hopefully inspire a new generation of imaginative, brilliant writers and help encourage women to begin telling their own stories.
 
"So many novels, my own included, have started life as notes scribbled down on a piece of paper or on the pages of a much-loved notebook. Perhaps the seeds of a future WPFF-winning novel will start its life on the Journal’s pages."
 
Katy Guest, senior commissioning editor at Unbound, said: "We are delighted to be working with Women’s Prize on this unique project. The Women’s Prize for Fiction Journal will be a wonderful souvenir and gift for anyone fascinated by the history of the Prize and looking to find inspiration for their own writing. We’re very excited to be bringing this project to life.”