2023 Writing Award Longlist

I have a veterinary degree and PhD from Cambridge, and spent twenty years in Kenya researching a disease of cattle and wildlife which no one outside Africa has ever heard of. I travelled throughout the region and worked closely with international and local scientists as well as the diplomatic

I am a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative Novel-Writing Course, winner of the 2021 Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize and have been long listed for Mslexia Novel Writing competitions. The Hollow Mountain is my third novel. I trained as a pharmacist, ultimately heading up a department supporting

Peter Trivelas was First Runner-up for the 2022 Darron L. Wright Writing Award. His short stories have appeared in Deadly Writer’s Patrol, Blood & Bourbon, Thema Literary Journal, Line of Advance and other publications. In 2021 his fiction was read in a WordTheatre worldwide presentation honoring

I'm a proud native of Suffolk, but now live in Wiltshire, divorced with two adult sons, in a small house with a garden I've made from scratch, and two loving, beautiful, mischievous and entertaining Burmese kittens. I've been writing since I was a small child, and began my first published book at

Drew Louis was born and raised in Albany, NY - the setting for his debut novel DRAINPIPE DREAMS. He later received his BA from SUNY Plattsburgh (NY) and his MFA from American University in Washington DC. Drew now lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and two children and works as a Best Boy Rigging

Masha Shukovich (she/they) is a writer, poet, storyteller, folklorist, teacher, independent scholar, and intuitive chef with ancestry and indigenous roots in the Balkans; the Mediterranean; and West, Central, and Northeast Asia (Siberia). She is a mother, demigirl, neurodivergent person, practical

I’ve dabbled in writing of all sorts: news articles for the national edition of the Deseret News, poetry published in small literary journals, contest-winning short stories, and a peer-reviewed science article. I have yet to publish a novel, however. With my B.S. in Physics, my fantasy has a sci-fi

I'm a storyteller who didn't really find my writing voice until later in life. My novels are "what if" explorations, always told in first person and present tense, allowing the reader to experience the story as I imagine I would.

Alon Lankri is an author of genre fiction, with a focus on fantasy and satire. He has spent way too many years in academia, amassing degrees in writing, economics, management, and teaching. When he isn’t imagining new worlds, Alon dances salsa with his wife, children, and labrador and occasionally

Riv Begun is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She combines her love of history, travel and family stories to create multigenerational tales inspired by her own family's past. She is a POSSE Foundation alumni and graduated from Boston University with a BFA in screenwriting. She has short stories in

I am a self-employed GP, living and working by the sea in Malta. My first book, Strangers I’ll Never Forget, a collection of non-fiction stories, was published in Malta by Ede Books in 2021, and on Amazon KDP. In 2021/22 I wrote my first novel, as part of the year-long 'Ultimate Novel Writing Course

I recently completed a 20-year career in public health. Prior to that, my life varied from a period spent in the military as a United Nations Peacekeeper in the Middle East to employment as a refugee relief worker in a camp for Bosnian Muslims in Croatia. To date, excerpts from my novel, A Cypress

When I'm not writing, I work as a Sonographer. It was a great career to work in while I finished college with a degree in photography. My goal was to get my Master's degree in Bio-communication and become a Medical Illustrator. I was lucky enough to find a job right out of college as a Medical

Diane Corso is a San Francisco Bay Area blogger at The Corso Papers, where she enjoys writing about bad (and good!) horror films. Her latest novel, Broken Things, placed second in the Horror/Paranormal category of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Contest for 2023. She recently guested on

Megan Catana (formerly Schikora) lives in the US. Her work won third place in prose in the 2020 New South Writing Contest and was nominated by Flash Fiction Magazine for the 2019 Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. Her short fiction and creative nonfiction can also be found in The Rumpus, The

I grew up in Manchester, the daughter of a botanist and a South African Indian immigrant who became a mental health social worker. I spent much of my childhood in the Herbarium of Manchester Museum, where my father worked and on which the Herbarium in The Blue Poppy is based. I travelled widely with

I have been awarded second place in the final judging of Hastings Litfest, (a submission from a previous crime thriller), and ‘Sins of the Fathers’ reached a longlist of 20 in the Bridport Prize. (1629 entries). It also achieved a Highly Commended 4th place in the Yeovil Novel Prize, the longlist of

I am an author, playwright, and freelance writer loving life in the American Southwest. Surviving and fleeing my upbringing in the Chicago area under the tutelage of white supremacist parents, I wandered until I found my true home here, inspired by the mystical landscapes, unique cultural history

Chris Berg Chris Berg was born in the '50s in Gridley, California to a state game warden and his Army nurse, wife. Except for a short stint living in New York City, he's lived on the left coast all his life. After graduating with his B.S. from San Jose State University he made his way to his true

Hi! I'm Nurse Jenn. A wife, mother, ER nurse and author. After over 14 years in the emergency room, I've learned a thing or two, usually that thing is you have no idea what's going to walk through the door next. My debut novel, Nursing Intuition: How to Trust Your Gut, is a mix of Eastern meet

I'm a writer, actor, and story coach from Edmonton, Canada. After working for years in a technical field, the company I worked for went under. Seeing it as an opportunity rather than a drawback, I decided to follow my passion of writing and film fulltime. With numerous produced screenplays and

I am a senior acquiring editor of middle grade and young adult fiction for Jolly Fish Press and Flux, the author of several children’s nonfiction books, a 2019 Pitch Wars mentee, and a graduate of the MFA in Creative Writing program at Antioch University L.A.

Ankit Gupta is a young passionate Author and a TEDx speaker based in London, United Kingdom. He is a Certified Financial Specialist, accredited by Financial Planning Standards Board, USA, currently recognized globally in 27 countries. Ankit is extremely passionate about Personal Finance and that is

The genre I prefer to write is erotic romance, but I have written thrillers and sci-fi fantasy novels under a different pseudonym. My stories are always about the human connection and how precious that can be, no matter the genre. Being loved, truly loved, is what we all hope for. Between everyday

Len Cobb is an emerging author and recovering structural engineer. He has completed one novel and is polishing his second. Len lives in Puerto Rico with his wife, two dogs, and three paddleboards. When not writing or stuck in his day job, he can be found surfing small waves or bicycling. He is not

Jilly Carrell has been an army wife for the past 18 years, and her husband’s six Afghan tours with the British Army were the inspiration for her submission. Following his death, two years ago, she took a year long sabbatical to spend time with her young daughters and to complete an MA in Creative

Gustav Temple has been editor of The Chap, a British men's style magazine, for 20 years. This career has allowed him to develop strong writing and editing skills within journalism, while he has also been busy writing fiction in his spare time. As well as Hotel Quarantine, his submission to The Page

Ben Alvord has been writing across many different mediums since he was a kid. He's worked in screenwriting, slam poetry, live storytelling, sketch comedy and his original love, fiction. Ben lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with his wife and pitbull mix. When he's not writing, he's working his

I am a house-bound writer who lives happily with my husband and two cats, spending my days hopping from world to world via audiobooks and manga. I've wanted to be an author since I was 6, or so I've been told. Other options included: doctor, plumber, scientist, accountant, pilot and pokemon trainer

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher. The creator of the Story Works Round Table podcast, the Story Works Fiction online school of creative writing, and developmental editor and writing coach at Word Essential, she has published two craft books, and multiple stories

I grew up in Great Britain on the borders of Wales in a Tudor house on the banks of the River Wye. As LP Fergusson I write serious historical fiction dealing with the Second World War and the War of Spanish Succession. As Loraine Fergusson I write cozy mysteries inspired by my time working in one of

Although I am British I was raised in Zimbabwe and I have also lived in Italy, Spain, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa, each of which has enriched the texture of my life and allowed my childhood dream of writing a novel to brew over time. A detour that involved a career in sales and marketing

I have been a practising psychotherapist for over 15 years, specialising in trauma, emotional disorders, psychosis, suicide and self-harm. That experience has informed my portrayal of authentic depictions of lived experiences with mental illness in fiction. I have had short stories published in

Fergal O’Donnell spent twenty years as a senior executive in the technology industry. With a diverse scientific background and a love of travel and adventure, he has written many fiction and non-fiction pieces. Proconnesus is his first novel.

Kim Black is a not-quite-cozy genre mixologist and award-winning author. She loves learning new things and returned to school in her fifties to receive her certification in screenwriting. She is a member of the Texas High Plains Writers, one of the oldest writers' groups in America. She speaks to

Since I was a girl, books have captivated me. As an adult, I've had fun writing stories that make people think and feel. You'll often find topics from my criminology and victimology teaching background in my writing - I infuse elements from these areas to grab readers in a relatable way.

Becky Adams grew up in a small New England town, the oldest of three daughters. She learned to read in kindergarten and has loved books ever since. Her favorite childhood pastimes were climbing trees and reading books; sometimes reading books in trees. Becky graduated summa cum laude from the

I am a new writer from the south east, I worked as a script reader for a few years writing some of my own short scripts along the way. I have only recently started writing fiction novella as a way to tell more complex stories in a way that is more artistic than what is allowed in screen format. I

David Turner is an engineer with an eye toward the future. He spent ten years working on NASA’s mission critical software, including the Artemis missions that will send humans back to the moon. He enjoys home improvement projects, bartending for his friends, and hiking—especially in national parks

I have a PhD in history and specialise in researching the social and emotional impact of the First World War, particularly for gay servicemen and conscientious objectors, whose 'outsider' status meant they had more in common that might be imagined.This novel arose from my original research on gay

From a young age, Timothy Jay Smith developed a ceaseless wanderlust that has taken him around the world many times. En route, he’s found the characters that people his work. Polish cops and Greek fishermen, mercenaries and arms dealers, child prostitutes and wannabe terrorists, Indian Chiefs and

I am Kristen Crusoe, a Registered Nurse, working primarily in psychiatric/forensic and palliative care specialties. I have also taught nursing students at the master and doctoral levels. Before I became an RN, I was a dancer, ballet and modern. I know these worlds well, and love bringing them to

Scott Rye is a decorated veteran who served throughout the Middle East and Africa. The author of two non-fiction books, Scott has worked as a newspaper correspondent, magazine editor, advertising copywriter and was a partner and Chief Operating Officer of an ad agency before founding his own crisis

Hi! I'm Amanda and I live in London, UK. :) Having spent ten years working as a Barrister in Criminal Law, I live and love all things crime! Hence all my books have a strong crime element, based on murder cases I prosecuted and are embedded with twists and conspiracies. As I have teenage children

Darrell Bowling, after a career in corporate aviation spanning fifty-five years, I now follow my favorite pastime, storytelling. With a thirty-year history as a pilot, part-time dealer, and pit boss for Nevada casinos, my background lends me to a life most only dream of. An old Chinese proverb reads

A Welsh poet and author from the Rhondda Valleys, Philip M John graduated from the University of South Wales in 2014 before working and living across the border in Bristol. He has since returned to Wales and now resides in Monmouthshire. Philip has published four volumes of poetry – Home Truths

Steve conveys perspectives and emotions in poems and songs. His draft memoir, Galvanized, tells how he overcame timidity as an air cavalry officer in the Vietnam War. A tuxedo cat from a shelter encourages him from a perch over his PC keyboard. Steve assists disabled veterans in getting government

Now retired, my career began as a teacher of French and German and ended as a specialist in helping pupils who do not speak the language of instruction all over the UK and Europe. I was a member of an EU Working Group promoting better Education outcomes for pupils of Roma heritage in Europe. I

B. Romero is a writer, teacher, student, wife, mother, activist, and everything in between. Writing has been her passion since a young age and she is also a lover of all things horror. When she is not writing, B. enjoys reading, gaming, and watching horror movies. During school hours, you can catch

Erin L. Swann is an avid home cook and works as an art teacher in Central Maryland. Her work appears in numerous anthologies and publications including Factor Four Magazine, Aurealis Magazine, and Andromeda Spaceways Magazine. She has won three honorable mentions from L. R. Hubbard’s Writers of the