Amanda Brookfield (1979, English), novelist and inaugural Visitor in the Creative Arts, is running a competition in conjunction with Boldwood Books Ltd to find Univ’s next novelist.

Applications are welcome in the following genres: crime or thriller fiction, women’s contemporary fiction, romantic fiction, reading group fiction, and historical fiction. All you need to submit is a synopsis (no more than one A4 page) and the first three pages of your text to give an idea of your narrative and writing style. The synopsis should outline the story’s arc and the characters involved, as well as suggesting the potential readership for the book.

Boldwood Books Ltd launched in early 2019 and aims to promote true partnership between authors, consumers and their team members. The team has over 50 years experience in fiction publishing at both corporate and independent publishing houses.

The winner will be eligible for support from Boldwood Books Ltd in order to develop their story and bring it to market. All submissions will be judged by an editorial panel composed of Amanda as well as representatives from the publisher. The competition closes on 31 May.

An event will be held on 12 June in the Master’s Lodgings from 7-9pm, where the top three entries will be announced. All are welcome to attend, whether they have sent entries or not.

Amanda commented, encouraging all members of College to apply:

“I could not be more excited about the competition, or more grateful for the Master’s support. My aim is simply to throw open a professional and enjoyable challenge to all members of College, while not making too great a demand on anyone’s time. Hence the very modest requirement of 4 pages. Discretion will also be integral to the process. Only the top three submissions will be made public, at the announcement event on 12th June, a wonderful excuse for a summer party, quite apart from the great potential for serious recognition and success that might transpire. I am thrilled to see who wins, as are the team at Boldwood Books! Nor can I think of a better way to mark my final days as Univ’s first Visitor in the Creative Arts, another memory to treasure among so many.”

Submissions should be sent to univcompetition@boldwoodbooks.com. If you wish to come to the evening event, please contact Amanda: amanda.brookfield@univ.ox.ac.uk.

Published: 2 May 2019

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