Behind every Bath Novel Award winning book is a writer who nearly didn’t send it in. A writer who was out of time. Or confidence. Or faith that anything might come of it. And yet, they did. Past winners share what the experience meant to them and what they’d say to writers hesitating before clicking ‘submit’. Their stories are raw, honest, and hopeful, and perhaps the nudge you need.

Joanna Barnard: “When I entered, it felt like a last roll of the dice.”

When I entered, it felt like a last roll of the dice. I was actually thinking of giving up on sending the manuscript out to agents. I felt like I was at the end of getting rejections and after years of self-editing, I didn’t feel there was much more I could do with it. So I think I would either have self-published or put the manuscript away and moved on. I remember hesitating about entering, because it was January and I couldn’t really afford the entry fee. I’m so glad I did enter, because that decision changed my life.

Kim Sherwood: “I didn’t think my novel would get anywhere.”

My partner Nick had been urging me to enter since the competition opened and I had been refusing because I didn’t think my novel would get anywhere. On the night of the deadline I was working until about 11pm and was exhausted. Nick said we should send it off and I said there was no point. He said if that was my only reason not to enter, then we had to. He walked me very gently to my computer, got the website up, got the file, I wrote the fastest cover letter in the history of cover letters, and we pressed send just before midnight.

Clarissa Goenawan: “I don’t think I’ll stand a chance”

I still remember just a few months ago, my writing mentor had suggested the Bath Novel Award, and I was like, ‘Are you sure? I don’t think I’ll stand a chance,’ and she was like, ‘Why not? You should just send it.’ Thankfully, I listened to her. It’s kind of clichéd, but don’t give up. You never know how close you are.

AP Firdaus: “I was simply checking the last box off my list.”

They say rejection is part of the writer’s life, and I get that. But after a certain number of eerily similar emails about how much there is to admire in your writing, followed by the dreaded ‘however’, you do reach a point where you just cannot do it again. When I submitted to the Bath Novel Award, I was simply checking the last box off my list. I was never going to look at this manuscript again. And then, this happened. Within a week, agents began to reach out to me. To me!

Sophie Draper: “I don’t normally win competitions.”

That week I was asked to submit the full manuscript after being longlisted, was so full of excitement. Just the thought of the book being read in full was intoxicating. I had to re-read the whole thing and worked like mad getting it as perfect as I could before hitting “send”. But what a motivator. I don’t normally win competitions. Winning has turned everything upside down. 

Kate Simants: “I’d kind of always assumed that my style wasn’t literary enough to win.”

In all honesty, I was floored. I’d kind of always assumed that my style wasn’t literary enough to win a prize as prestigious as the Bath Novel Award. I almost didn’t enter – I had huge reservations about the book and knew it had a lot of problems that I couldn’t work out how to solve. A writer friend texted me a few days before the deadline telling me she’d entered and I just thought, OK, why not?

Ben Reeves: “When I scrolled down and saw my name, I cried.”

I’d been anxious the whole week leading up to the announcement. When I scrolled down and saw my name, I cried. It’s a big moment. I’ve been writing seriously for around 15 years and never had much success. To finally have some acknowledgement, to know people enjoyed my work, is deeply satisfying.

Francesca Robbins: “The thing is, if you keep going, eventually you do fill the pool up.”

Writing a novel is a lonely business, even more so in a pandemic. The thought that anyone would ever read my book has seemed fantastical over the past few years. On an average day I can only physically type for around half an hour. Writing a novel while pacing is like filling a swimming pool with an egg cup. But the thing is, if you keep going, eventually you do fill the pool up. It just so happened that I finished the manuscript around the same time as the BNA deadline. It’s not an exaggeration to say winning means the world.

Andrew J King: “It seemed impossible I could pull off an outright win.”

When I thought about all the hurdles an entry has to pass to get all the way to ‘last book standing’, it seemed impossible I could pull off an outright win. I was well pleased just to be longlisted again, and even more pleased to get into the shortlist. You spend ten years and more fantasising and daydreaming, not only about the story, but about the idea that it might get published one day. Then suddenly the world does an odd backflip and fantasy starts to become reality. It was a massive confidence boost.

Abi Daré: “Many times, the journey is riddled with self-doubt.”

I had fought sleepless nights from the shortlist announcement, wondering what ifs.  On the night itself, I tried hard to fight the nerves. As Felicity [Blunt] started to speak, my heart was pounding so hard, it nearly drowned out her voice. My mother placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “Relax. Breathe.” I let out a breath and then Felicity announced the title of my book. I felt my legs wobble, and then the tears came.

Writing is often solitary. Many times, the journey is riddled with self-doubt, frustration and moments of joyous awe when you finally get a chapter right. To hear a top agent say she loved my book… there are no words. I couldn’t quite believe it. I literally pinched myself when she was speaking because I was so sure I was dreaming.

Ian Nettleton: “This has completely turned things around.”

My year started badly on the writing front – I felt like I was back to square one and got quite fed up about the whole thing. This has completely turned things around. You can never really be sure if you are succeeding until someone reads your writing. I don’t think writers really know how effective their writing can be until they see its effect on a reader. I’ve been a big fan of this award since 2014. It’s amazing to now be one of the winning writers.

There’s no single path to getting published, but time and again winners tell us the same thing: entering the Bath Novel Award was a turning point. Whether you’re close to the final draft or full of doubt, let their stories be a nudge. You never know where entering might lead.