Well, this is good news. Neil Gaiman has been chosen to join the Dundee International Book Prize’s judging panel alongside some of the literary world’s most influential figures.
Gaiman will be joined by broadcaster Kirsty Lang, publisher Scott Pack, literary agent Felicity Blunt and writer and critic Stuart Kelly. Each will cast their eyes over the work of aspiring novelists from across the globe. The entrants are competing for a publishing deal with Cargo Publishing and £10,000, the largest cash prize for unpublished work in the UK.
Now in its 10th year, the Prize attracted more than 350 entries in 2013 with In The Rosary Garden, Nicola White’s crime thriller inspired by a notorious true case of infanticide in Ireland in the 1980s, being named the winner.
The competition is a joint venture between the ‘Dundee – One City, Many Discoveries’ campaign and Literary Dundee, a University-led initiative. It is open to both local writers and authors from around the world.
Literary Dundee Director Anna Day said, ‘The judging panel for the 2014 Dundee International Book Prize is testament to the status of the prize and the recognition by leading literary figures of the importance of hearing new voices. The breadth of experience on the panel is breathtaking and I can’t wait to see which of the entries they pick as the winner.’
It is great to see a genre author being selected to judge a ‘literary’ competition. Neil himself was the first author ever to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals for the same work, The Graveyard Book in 2008 and, of course, last year had his The Ocean at the End of the Lane voted Book of the Year in the British National Book Awards. We expect this had a great deal to do with him being appointed, so huge congratulations! 🙂
For those interested in entering the competition: there is no minimum or maximum length to the manuscript but it must be the author’s debut novel. More information about the Prize, including a full set of rules and details about how to submit an entry can be found here.
The closing date is 4th March. Only shortlisted authors will be contacted by the organisers of the prize. The winner will be informed of their success in June and the book will be launched in published form in the autumn as part of the Dundee Literary Festival.
Jennie Ivins