2018 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers Longlist

After receiving over 660 entries to the 2018 Richell Prize, we are delighted to announce the 19 writers on this year’s longlist.

Hachette Australia, along with the Richell family, is honoured to present The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers for 2018, in partnership with Guardian Australia and the Emerging Writers’ Festival.

The 2018 longlisted writers are:

Mandy Beaumont, She Is Bright Light And All Brilliance
Leanne Dodd, Ebb And Flow
Bernadette Eden, Awaiting Annie Jones
Zoe Ghani, Pomegranate & Fig
Lou Greene, The Book Lovers
Sara Haghdoosti, Sunburnt Veils
Tanya Lake, The Ocean Has A Beating Heart
Elise Lawrence, The League Of Invisible Women
Ruth McIver, I Shot The Devil
Fiona Murphy, The Shape Of Sound
Peter Papathanasiou, The Stoning
Sophie Quick, Tell Me About It
Fiona Robertson, Tempest And Other Stories
Lee Sayer, The Athena Frontier
Sandy Sharma, The Book Of Azazel
Sinead Stubbins , Did That Happen, Though
Rachel Watts, The Light Of The Mind
Andrea Wegner, The Brunswick Accord
Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou, I Killed God

The writers on the longlist will be judged on the first three chapters of the submitted work, along with a synopsis outlining the direction of the proposed work and details about how the author’s writing career would benefit from winning the Prize.

The winner will receive $10,000 in prize money, to be donated by Hachette Australia, along with a 12-month mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. Hachette Australia will work with the winning writer to develop their manuscript with first option to consider the finished work and shortlisted entries for publication. As well as promoting the Prize, The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website.

The judging panel includes Vanessa Radnidge, publisher at Hachette Australia; Hannah Richell, bestselling author; Will Dawson, executive director of Emerging Writers’ Festival and Gavin Williams, owner of Adelaide’s Matilda Bookshop.

The shortlist will be announced on October 8, with the winner announced in Sydney on November 7.

Hachette Australia and Hannah Richell would like to thank The Emerging Writers’ Festival and The Guardian Australia for partnering with them to make this Prize a reality. The Emerging Writers’ Festival would also like to thank Simpsons Solicitors for assisting them financially with the administration of the Prize.

This Prize brings together a group of people who know what a huge supporter of emerging writers Matt Richell was. Without the writers there would be no Prize – so congratulations to everyone on the longlist.