2023 Writing Mentorship Award Longlist

Page Turner Awards is delighted to announce our 2023 Writing Mentorship Award Longlist, shown in random order!

Please join us in congratulating these rising stars by leaving them a comment at the bottom of their submission. Click 'see more' to read their submission. And you can also congratulate the writers in our forum. Some of these writers will win a writing mentorship from these amazing writing mentors!

Wherever you see duplicate faces, it's not a mistake, those writers are to be applauded for having more than one submission reach the finals!

Find entrants by adding a first name or surname into the search box below, don't search with both first name and surname.

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Ali Dent for "Saving Grace, a psychological thriller, book one in the Everton Thriller Series"
Genre: Suspense & Thriller

Ali writes psychological thrillers in which ordinary people learn how to thrive in the realm BETWEEN good and evil. Her passion is simple: to explore truth through mind-bending stories that invite readers to see the world through a different lens. She writes thrillers for the heart because she

Ayesha Farhat Moosa for "Dear Mickie Maulwi"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Ayesha lives in Norway with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She was raised in Pakistan and worked for several years in Islamabad before moving to Norway, where she currently has a day-job as head of a product team. She steal snippets of time to write at her kitchen table. In 2022 she won a

Rachel Falconer for "Daroway"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

I am aiming to be a published author in the next year. However, I’m also a vascular surgeon and mother of one so finding time to write can be challenging! I am working on my debut novel and hope that a mentorship prize could help me complete my manuscript and achieve my dream of publication.

Arlene Cox for "Intergalactic Art Threat"
Genre: LGBT

Arlene is passionate about art in all its forms. She fully believes that at the end of the day (and the end of all civilizations) art is the only thing that lasts after all the dust has settled. (That, and children— of which she has two.) Arlene grew up in an Appalachian town where everybody knows

Meg Gaertner for "A SILENCE OF MANY PARTS"
Genre: Sci-Fi

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.

Anne Hewling for "Sidewinder Cafe"
Genre: Crime

I don’t remember the first story I wrote but at high school I do remember writing a ‘science fiction’ story featuring a pair of goggles that allowed you to see inside other people’s minds and reverse their deeds. As a teen I favoured poetry. I relished the straightjacket form of a haiku and the

Linda Gorelova for "Rent a Fairy "
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Dear Page Turner Awards Judges, I'm honored to submit my work for your consideration. I've written three novels about the Russian Revolution and the ensuing civil war which center around the Romanovs. The first one, THE MOTH ORCHID (historical, about 99,000 words) starts with the assassination of

Jo Morey for "Lime Juice Money"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Like my main character Laelia, I wear hearing aids in both ears (following hearing loss associated with the chronic illness Hashimoto’s which I was diagnosed with eight years ago) and I’m passionate about removing their stigma, particularly amongst non-pensioners (!) Apart from that, I'm nothing

Ashley Thomas Sheikh for "Kentucky Blood (Book I of the Kentucky Blood Series)"
Genre: Horror

Growing up in an area of western Kentucky called “Possum Trot,” Ashley became fluent in Japanese during college and moved to Tokyo, Japan. After spending a decade in a high-pressure, Japanese language-only corporate environment, he recently quit his job to become a writer. He shall either become

Nabila Tayub for "Without Noor"
Genre: Women's Fiction

I am a 43 year old British Pakistani/ Kashmiri woman from a working class background. I have degrees from Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I moved to Malawi in 2005 and back to the UK in 2021. I am married, have three daughters and currently live in Ascot and

Stephen Bridger for "A Single Cell"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Late starter. Spent most of my time working in hospitals, bringing up a family, and in the occasional down times, running, reading and co-authoring science and medical papers - over 50 published, but none of major significance. Started writing fiction in May 2022 - currently writing fourth book

Bethan Gibbs for "Kenzie Cool"
Genre: Childrens Picture Books

I write warm, earth-conscious nurturing books which focus upon helping children heal from trauma, giving animals and nature a voice, and helping adults heal from painful childhoods. The books I write are intended to help children connect and overcome from hardship. They are inspired by my own

Yvette Louis for "Revolutions: from La Habana to Harlem—A Novel "
Genre: Women's Fiction

For over twenty years, I worked as a professor of literature and most of my published work is in the academic field. My specialization in the African diaspora literature of the Americas provides background material for my novel-in-progress. "Revolutions: from La Habana to Harlem" combines historical

Marie-louise Ek for "The Man Who Loved Too Much"
Genre: Drama

I'm a Swedish born writer living in Brighton.

Judy Boxer for "Unbreakable Bonds: A Journey of Strength, Family, and Self-Discovery"
Genre: Historical Fiction

Judy is a videographer specializing in video biography, helping people to tell their stories for their children and grandchildren. She has been investigating her own family history for over 40 years, turning names and dates in to stories for her family: helping them to understand their past in order

Jenny Griffin for "One Day in March"
Genre: Creative Non-Fiction

Jenny currently lives in Devon, England, after five and a half years as an itinerant home and pet sitter. She loves taking very long walks and talking to the cows. For the past decade, she has been quietly writing in different forms and genres, learning to trust her voice. One of her favourite

Caroline Anders for "Affairs at Little Bloxley"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

As an avid reader I've always been fascinated by fiction and its ability to inspire the audience to question and reflect on aspects of real life. Like many people, this has made me want to write my own novels and finally, in my late 50s, I had the chance to study for a creative writing degree at De

Faye King for "Rage Rage"
Genre: Crime

Faye studied at the University of Oxford and now lives in London. Her corporate events career is on ice while she raises two little girls. She has been menstruating for three hundred and sixteen months, probably writing for the same. Rag Rage is her first novel.

Anna Pietrzkiewicz-Read for "Black Moth"
Genre: Historical Fiction

Anna P. Read is a Polish writer living in Edinburgh. She used to write poetry and short stories in Polish. After moving permanently to Scotland, she began writing fiction in English. Anna writes mostly historical crime fiction and has had some successes in competitions. She was shortlisted for the

Nathan Velayudhan for "You're Gonna Be Famous"
Genre: Sci-Fi

Nathan is a Faber Academy graduate as well as a DHH New Voices and United Agents 100x100 shortlisted writer. He works in advertising by day, consulting some of the UK's biggest brands, from Cadbury to Domino's. His aim is to set up stall in the speculative genre, and thinks his novels would sit

Gidon Ben-Zvi for "Detox with Sadie "
Genre: Drama

Gidon Ben-Zvi is an accomplished writer who left behind Hollywood starlight for Jerusalem stone. After serving in an IDF infantry unit for two-and-a-half years, Gidon returned to the United States, before settling in Israel where he aspires to raise a brood of children who speak English fluently -

Emma Shtanichev for "Oxford-by-Sea"
Genre: Crime

Emma Shtanichev is currently doing an MA in Creative Writing, which is a big change from her BSc in Chemistry. She has been longlisted for Fish Publishing Short Story Prize. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found walking or swimming in the sea with her son.

Julia Dunne for "In Her Skin"
Genre: Suspense & Thriller

Born in Spain, raised in Australia, I now live in Ireland with my husband and two teenagers. I like to tap into the heart and mind of my protagonists, so readers connect to them on an emotional level. I'm a self-taught writer and In Her Skin is my debut novel. I'm active in writing/critique groups

Alexi Arlidge for "Bad Timing and Me"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Corporate turned creative. A City escapee, now debut novelist and freelance marketing and business consultant. My novels, written with screenplay adaptation in mind, draw on the reality of today - the highs and lows, twists and turns of modern life and love. Stories designed to entertain, provoke

John Davis for "Reluctant to Lead: Overcoming Fear of Failure"
Genre: Memoir

Steve conveys perspectives and emotions in poems and songs. His draft memoir, Reluctant to Lead, 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

Jade Jiao for "Solum"
Genre: Horror

Jade Jiao is a British-born writer living in Tokyo, Japan. With a lifelong love of horror, she writes about the things that scare her, the macabre, and enjoys books that have a dark sense of humour. She has an MA in screenwriting from the University of Salford, and when she isn't writing, she loves

Frannie James for "The Sylvan Hotel - A Seattle Story"
Genre: Women's Fiction

Born and raised in Seattle, Frannie James is a personable and knowledgeable creative with 15+ years of professional experience gained in copywriting/content roles. She has finished her first novel, inspired by experiences in the Emerald City during her 20s (a.k.a. the “tail end” of coming-of-age)

Gillian Kobiela Lyon for "Monkford and the Humph"
Genre: Childrens Picture Books

Hello, I am excited to be entering the Page Turner Awards for the third year in a row. Originally from the West of Scotland, I am now settled in Edinburgh with my husband and two cats. As a self employed artist I work mainly from home. This gives me the opportunity to spend some time exploring the

Jenna Ervin for "Lest We Fall"
Genre: Action Adventure

J.M. Ervin is a teacher based out of Northern California. She lives with her husband, two kids, and countless wild animals. When not teaching, she can be found either lost writing in her own worlds, in front of a heater with too much coffee and her nose buried in a book, or as a hostage goddess in

Robin Korb for "Return to Spender"
Genre: Childrens Middle Grade Books

I was born in Wisconsin, raised in Southern California, then moved back to Wisconsin, where I’ve lived for the last 35 years. Having four seasons instead of two has been one of the many benefits of living in Northwestern Wisconsin. So is living in the country, because I get to enjoy its beauty and

Tony Durrant for "Curlew Song"
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Tony Durrant is a former national newspaper journalist. He has an MA in Creative Writing and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award 2020 and longlisted in the Page Turner Writing Award 2022. Tony grew up on industrial Tyneside, which he escaped regularly to explore the wilds of

Howard Teece for "The Museum of Myth"
Genre: Fantasy

I'm based in the UK and concentrate on crime, occasionally with some form of alternative reality twist, or something very wrong. I'm an alumna of CBC's Advanced Writing Crime Fiction course with Sarah Hillary. Also, I am utterly useless at writing bios, which is OK because my day job finds me