2024 Writing Award Finalists

Hi, I’m Phil, a former radio and TV reporter/producer in the UK, writing as PN Johnson. My novels, Killer in the Crowd and Run to the Blue are published by Burning Chair, London. Both have been Shortlisted Finalists in these awards. I am just completing a sequel to Run to the Blue as well as a

Originally from South West England – I am now settled (with my wonderful dog Millie) on the edge of the beautiful Lake District National Park. My writing, like my life, reflects some deep inner shifts – and I find great inspiration from being near the mountains, walking in the woods, or breathing in

Originally from South West England – I am now settled (with my wonderful dog Millie) on the edge of the beautiful Lake District National Park. My writing, like my life, reflects some deep inner shifts – and I find great inspiration from being near the mountains, walking in the woods, or breathing in

I live in the Philadelphia suburbs with my wife, two young children, and mischievous yellow lab. I am a high school social studies teacher with a background in United States government and a great affection for Revolutionary-era history. I wrote this book because in this age of international

Sue Abell, writing as MS Abell and Sabella MaKamish, has been writing since early childhood – short stories, novels and even a play. Her style of writing is organic … rarely does a novel form from an outline. Most often, her novels come from the dreams she has while sleeping. Sue lucid dreams: she

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

Sue Abell, writing as MS Abell and Sabella MaKamish, has been writing since early childhood – short stories, novels and even a play. Her style of writing is organic … rarely does a novel form from an outline. Most often, her novels come from the dreams she has while sleeping. Sue lucid dreams: she

Eric Miller is a former hip-hop artist, former political economist, former medical professional, and a current father of three. His two previous novels, a middle-grade fantasy, and a YA superhero/sci-fi, remain unpublished, yet he soldiers on.

Jack Chandler is a member of Jericho Writers. In April 2021, her first children's book was published by Carl Ed Schunemann KG in Germany, but her heart belongs to thrillers. She's writing a thriller/psychological thriller series with returning characters, although each book works as a standalone. Ms

Brian Finney has won awards for his biography of Christopher Isherwood and for his debut suspense novel, Money Matters. His writings have appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, The LA Weekly, The Irish Times, The Chicago Tribune, The San

Jack Chandler is a member of Jericho Writers. In April 2021, her first children's book was published by Carl Ed Schunemann KG in Germany, but her heart belongs to thrillers. She's writing a thriller/psychological thriller series with returning characters, although each book works as a standalone. Ms

During my thirty year career in education, I was Head of English and later Headteacher of two schools in the UK, as well as CEO of five international schools in The Hague, the Netherlands. Now, as a “digital nomad” I have travelled extensively in Latin America and have spent a lot of time in Peru

Sara is passionate about representation for teenagers who are impacted by the care and justice systems in fiction. She taught English in Scottish High Schools for 15 years before moving into a Child Protection role. She is dedicated to showing children impacted by neglect, abuse and familial

After a career in communications and as a copywriter and editor in the corporate and science sectors in Australia, I published my first novel 'More Than I Ever Had' an historical fiction based on a true story. Since then, I completed a second manuscript in the women's suspense genre, and am now

I'm a trilingual storyteller, international journalist, and fiction novelist with a love of ancient history, astronomy, fantasy, and beautiful words that make you swoon.

Sue Abell, writing as MS Abell and Sabella MaKamish, has been writing since early childhood – short stories, novels and even a play. Her style of writing is organic … rarely does a novel form from an outline. Most often, her novels come from the dreams she has while sleeping. Sue lucid dreams: she

I’m a member of the Florida Writers Association and hold a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Writing from MIT. A graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, I’m a General Surgeon in Jacksonville, Florida. Drafted as the unofficial photographer of my children’s sports teams, I

I'm a trilingual storyteller, international journalist, and fiction novelist with a love of ancient history, astronomy, fantasy, and beautiful words that make you swoon.

Sue Abell, writing as MS Abell and Sabella MaKamish, has been writing since early childhood – short stories, novels and even a play. Her style of writing is organic … rarely does a novel form from an outline. Most often, her novels come from the dreams she has while sleeping. Sue lucid dreams: she

Franco British, aged 48, I have been, since the age of 21, a painter under the name Delphine Hogarth Lafaye. I work with different galleries in the UK and the states and always wrote texts to explain my paintings and my process. In my world, writing and painting go well together. This time, I left

Writer, romantic, cynic, surgeon

Hello I have completed my first novel and am currently working on my second. Aside from writing, I am a mother of five, a wife, and a barista. I reside in the wonderful state of Indiana, but grew up in Canada where I obtained an undergrad in psychology and worked with male young offenders. Before

Maria is a British Zillennial who loves languages, photography and travelling. She has a First Class degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Lancaster University and works in recruitment. She recently won the ‘Thriller’ category in The People’s Friend Writing Competition (2024), was

My name is Mariela (Ela) Randall, and I currently live in Austin, Texas. I'm a United States Army veteran, accountant, and writer. I quit my job at The University of Texas at Austin in October 2022 to follow my dream and work full-time on Rayen, my first manuscript. I love writing and will continue

Jay’s short fiction has appeared in Elevator Stories by Third West Publishing, The Legendary, Pythia Journal, Oblong Magazine and Eunoia Review. You can read more at www.jayhodgkins.com. He is the co-author of "Athlete Brands: How to Benefit from Your Name, Image & Likeness" from Darden Business

I have been writing full time for ten years, first gaining a distinction in a creative unit as part of an English Literature degree with the Open University and then completing various writing courses, most recently How To Edit Your Novel with Jericho Writer's Debi Alper. I am a member of a virtual

Like my ridiculous character Brian Medlock, I am a gay scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur. After training as a surgeon, I invented the personalization technology used by WebMD, and I recently sold my conversational AI company Conversa to American Well. Medlock’s theory of persistence is actually

Maria is a British Zillennial who loves languages, photography and travelling. She has a First Class degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Lancaster University and works in recruitment. She recently won the ‘Thriller’ category in The People’s Friend Writing Competition (2024), was

I started writing for my younger daughter, who was born with one hand. Her complaint was that in children's books any character with a disability like her was either: 1. The baddy (let's face it, you thought of Captain Hook, didn't you?) with the disability used to show how evil they are 2. A

Fiona Hartmann has a B.A. in English Literature from McGill University. She currently resides in Toronto, and is interested in creating thought-provoking fiction.

Caroline Turriff is an award nominated social affairs journalist who was shortlisted for the Amnesty International Media Awards for a report on race and police brutality she did for BBC TV's Newsnight which was also broadcast on BBC1, Radio 4, Radio 1 and run by the Guardian, Mail and Metro

I am an LGBTQ+ writer hailing from Newry in Northern Ireland, right on the border. I graduated with a B.Ed Hons degree in English and Drama in 1995 and have been a Primary School teacher ever since. I am also very lucky to teach and perform Burlesque with my dance troupe, The Scarlet Belles. I have

Originally from Sydney, Australia, I have spent most of my adult life in Switzerland, working as a physio with disabled children, raising a family, and studying. I received a BA with First Class Honours in Literature and Classical Studies from The Open University in 2001, and an MA from Bath Spa

Growing up on the prairies of Colorado, Rayanne (Rayray) Robison developed a wide taste in literature, which is reflected in her stories. Her goal is to reach people with her stories, and maybe even help them change their thinking, by the grace of God. She is determined to live a purposeful life

I have published short fiction and poetry, and I have been short- and long-listed for the Fish Short Story Prize. As an undergraduate I majored in English literature, though I currently work in technology.

I was born and raised in Spain and moved to live in the UK when I was 25. Learning a new language wasn’t easy for me; so, I challenged myself to write in English as a way to improve the language. Characters and their stories have crowded my head from a young age, wanting to be told; one day I gave

Pat Sayer studied history and art history as an undergraduate. She practiced medicine as a naturopathic physician. Later, she taught anatomy and microbiology to pre-med students at Washington State University. The inspiration for writing her first historical novel came after reading an article

Originally from Sydney, Australia, I have spent most of my adult life in Switzerland, working as a physio with disabled children, raising a family, and studying. I received a BA with First Class Honours in Literature and Classical Studies from The Open University in 2001, and an MA from Bath Spa

Patrick Eades is a writer from Sydney, Australia. Growing up, he spent his free time reading, on sporting fields, and getting up to mischief in the National Park. After school, Patrick found himself in a variety of jobs. He was a baker, pizza delivery driver and shelf stacker before realising he

Although born in the UK, and educated at Cambridge University, I embarked on a teaching career in California. Securing several promotions, and working in a variety of schools and settings, I became a headteacher in the UK. I currently live in London and am an educational consultant, supporting

I am currently the head of the journalism department at City St George's, University of London and a former journalist who’s worked as a staffer for the BBC, the Independent, the Washington Post, the Sunday Times amongst others. An award-winning short story writer, my work has also been longlisted

I am a retired professor of Victorian Literature who has written two single-authored books, produced several editions, edited or co-edited several essays, and written numerous articles. During the course of my career I worked with a writing therapist, Cynthia MacDonald, a poet and therapist who was

I am a neurodivergent mother raising two readers in upstate New York. When I’m not writing fiction, I work in the EdTech sector, focusing on accessible online course design.

Mike Darcy is the debut author of the Little Joe series, as such it is not a series yet, but trust him, there is more than one book. He spent the better part of his youth wandering the forest, subsisting on foraging wild berries and the generosity of concerned woodland creatures. He holds degrees in

I have always written and though I have never been published, I’ve been placed in many writing competitions: most recently I have been longlisted in the CWA’s Debut Dagger, The Yeovil Literary Prize, Flash 500 Novel Comp, The Joan Dempsey First Chapter Contest and shortlisted in The Retreat West

Michael is a graduate in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. He lives and works as a lawyer in London. In between spending time with his wife and chasing after his spirited young son, Michael reads and writes.

Kirk Rafferty loves to imagine new characters and write their stories. Unfortunately (for them, but fortunately for readers) he has a terrible habit of putting those characters through hell, and oftentimes even outright killing them. Kirk primarily writes historical fiction and fantasy. He lives

Celeste Lovick is a Canadian author and singer-songwriter residing in Norfolk, England with her husband and son. Her first novel, 'Medicine Song', was self-published in 2017 and was inspired by her experiences performing at greenfield festivals over the years. She has released four solo albums of

Read Classics and Philosophy at UCL and taught Greek philosophy for a bit at the University of Kent. Did an MA in creative writing at Bath Spa University and have been writing on and off for years. Presently work in a medical school library.

BIOGRAPHY: My name is Rosie Beattie and I have worked as an English and Drama teacher for the majority of my career which has definitely informed my writing. I also have a background in theatre having worked as both an actor and director. I have a keen interest in film and have enjoyed writing LEMON