Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize Announces 2025 Longlist
We are proud to unveil the 2025 longlist for the Fiction Prize, spotlighting 15 remarkable debut novels by unpublished women and non-binary writers across the UK and Ireland.
This year saw a record-breaking 1,000+ entries, a testament to the Prize’s reputation as a launchpad for powerful new literary voices. These longlisted novels stood out for their originality, emotional depth, and compelling storytelling.
The 2025 longlist showcases a range of themes, genres, and voices – from the intimate to the epic, touching the zeitgeist through to the fantastical.
2025 Longlist
Cass Bonner - The Guardians
Emily Charlton - Motherskin
Lucy Coleman - Supernova
AJ Davage - Between us three and the sea
Emma Dawson - Marine
Melissa Gitari - My Girls
Ceri Gould - On Wednesdays We Wear Black
Becca Heddle - Guiltless
Clair Humphries - Mrs Peacock's Pavlova
Deborah Karlsen - The Norwegian Girls
Isabella Peralta - Comets
Frankie Regalia - Ghost Daddy Issues
Rachel Rowlinson - Seastroke
Jade Wright - Kill Your Darlings
Ciara Broderick - Catfish
Hellie Ogden and Matilda Forbes Watson, Co-heads of UK Books:
‘We had almost double the number of entries from 2024, and we were blown away by the standard. It’s been such a pleasure to dip into these worlds and we are looking forward to seeing the response from our experienced judges.’
The longlisted novels are now with our judges, who will be carefully reading and considering each one. The shortlist will be revealed on 8th May 2025.
Our judges bring a wealth of literary expertise and creative insight:
Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Head Judge): Award-winning poet, playwright, and bestselling novelist
Candice Brathwaite: Acclaimed author, journalist, broadcaster, and cultural commentator
Leodora Darlington: Publishing Director at Orion and debut author
Dr Olivia Krauze: Director of Studies in English at Lucy Cavendish College
Dr Lindsay Traub: Former Vice President and Emeritus Fellow of the College
The winner will be awarded a prize of £1,500 and all shortlisted entrants will receive one-to-one consultation with an agent at our sponsor agency WME who will give each author editorial feedback as well as publishing advice. All longlisted authors will get a chance to participate in a WME run programme of events to demystify the publishing experience.
With the Prize in its 15th anniversary, and the College celebrating 60 years of innovation and inclusion in 2025, this year marks an exciting new chapter.
Our prize sponsor is WME, a leading global talent agency with a rich history. At its core, WME’s books division operates as a boutique literary agency, providing hands-on representation while uniquely positioned to access resources from across the broader WME network. This collaboration brings exciting opportunities for our longlisted authors, offering them exposure to world-class literary and creative representation.
With the support of our community, we were able to offer 24 fully sponsored places to writers from low-income backgrounds, continuing our mission to make the competition as inclusive and accessible as possible.
To find out more about the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize click here