2024 Longlist Announcement
Established in 2013, the Bath Novel Awards are international prizes for emerging novelists. The Bath Novel Award is a £5,000 prize for manuscripts written for adults or young adults and we are delighted to announce 2024’s longlist.
First, our appreciation to everyone who entered. The overall standard was extremely high and we have loved reading this year’s entries. A record 2,452 manuscripts were submitted from authors in 78 countries and this year’s longlistees are based in Asia, North America and Europe.
2024’s list is 21 books strong and includes: book group; comedy; historical; horror; literary; noir; psychological thriller; speculative; thriller; and YA novels.
All listees win editorial director feedback on their opening pages and synopsis worth £180 courtesy of Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. One longlistee will also win a place worth £1,980 on the 18 week virtual course Edit Your Novel the Professional Way with Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and the Professional Writing Academy.
As our awards are judged blind, we will be keeping authors’ names under wraps until judging is complete. In the meantime, many congratulations to the authors of this year’s 21 standout manuscripts.
The Bath Novel Award 2024 Longlist
| A View of the Open Sky |
| All Your Numbered Bones |
| Art |
| Dance of the Mayflies |
| Hook & Dagger |
| Inge & Rose |
| Lagan & Derelict |
| Migratory Patterns |
| My Beautiful Boy |
| The Alchemical Game |
| The Binding of Petronella Lightfoot |
| The Exceptions |
| The Fairfax Redemption |
| The Geddes Girls |
| The Good Man |
| The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane |
| The Hermit |
| The Hive |
| The Horse Pond |
| The Latin Teacher |
| The Paper Rose |
The winner of the Bath Novel Award 2024, as judged by Paper Literary founder Catherine Cho, will be announced in September 2024.
“Over the years, it has been the stepping stone in so many brilliant writers’ careers and I’ve been a long-time admirer of the spirit and quality of the awards.”
Enrichetta Frezzato, literary agent at Curtis Brown and Bath Children’s Novel Award 2024 judge
“I’ve been a longtime admirer of the Bath Novel Awards’ work and ethos.”
Catherine Cho, agent and Paper Literary founder
“The Bath Novel Award stands out for its excellence and wonderful support”
Abi Dare, 2018 winner for The Girl with the Louding Voice, signed by Felicity Blunt of Curtis Brown and published in 2020 by Hodder.
“One of the most rewarding things was getting my novel into the hands of the Junior Judges – its intended age-range.”
Struan Murray, winner of the Bath Children’s Novel Award 2017 signed by Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown for Orphans of the Tide, published in 2020 by Penguin Books.
“There have been so many amazing moments since finding out I’d won.”
Kim Sherwood, Bath Novel Award 2016 winner for the manuscript of Testament, signed by Susan Armstrong at C&W and published in 2018 by Riverrun.
“Barely a week has gone by since I won the award, and I have an agent already.”
Matthew Fox, Bath Children’s Novel Award 2019 winner for The Sky Over Rebecca, signed by Lauren Gardner at Bell. Lomax, Moreton and published by Hachette in 2022.
“The Bath Novel Awards played such an essential part of my journey as a writer.”
Carmen Wittmeier, 2023 Children’s winner for The Train with No End, signed by Enrichetta Frezzato at Curtis Brown
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Photo credit: Julie Marwood[/caption]
“A fantastically well-run, genuinely life-changing prize, which never fails to draw attention from agents and editors.”
Julia Silk, agent at Greyhound Literary
“The best vote of confidence I could have asked for.”
Kate Simants, Bath Novel Award 2019 winner for A Ruined Girl (Viper Books, 2020)
“Within a week, agents began to reach out to me.”
A.P. Firdaus, 2021 winner for Remember, Mr Sharma, signed by Julia Silk at Greyhound Literary and published by Sceptre in 2023.
