2025 Writing Award Longlist

Ione has an MA in Creative Writing and lives on the south coast of England, where she spends her days zooming with the global tribe of technologists she works with, wordsmithing, worshipping her Russian Blue cats, and growing flowers for bees and butterflies.

My work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer’s Digest and Family Circle. A Pushcart Prize nominee, I won the Grand Prize in the annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and received a Finalist Award in Prose from the Illinois Arts Council. I graduated with a

Len Cobb is an emerging author and recovering structural engineer. He has completed two novels and is polishing two more. He's had a short story published and his work was longlisted in the 2023 Page Turner Awards. Len lives in Puerto Rico with his wife, two dogs, three guitars, and four

I'm a 56 year old violinist and string teacher, the daughter of a german-jewish holocaust refugee. I grew up in St Andrews, Scotland, where my Dad was a history lecturer in the university. Thereafter, I studied and lived in Sheffield until 2000. For the past 23 years I've been a resident of

Dorit d’Scarlett is a CaLD poet and writer ‘of a certain age’ whose short stories and prize-winning poetry have featured in Rattle, Meniscus, Antler Velvet, and other international literary journals. Her long-form fiction has been both short and long-listed for multiple writing awards. Recently

My writing is influenced by my law enforcement career and a love of spy novels, sci-fi stories and noir fiction. I have written two novels, dozens of short stories, and a variety of scripts, including features, tv pilots, and shorts.

Jane lives in New Zealand with her young family. She has a PhD in early modern English history, a BA (Hons) and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland. She has published in academic journals, and is a volunteer baker for NZ charity Good Bitches Baking. Her work has received the Claymore

Jo is a writer with a passion for commercial fiction, and anything that makes her laugh. She lives in Cornwall with a bitey cat and her (thankfully less bitey) partner. Her work has previously been shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print unpublished novel prize.

Gayle Hellinger, writing as G. Louise, is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the proud mother of two. After thirty years as an attorney with the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, she is a retired colonel now seeking literary representation for two completed manuscripts. Writing dark fantasy and

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

Kat Trigarszky (pen name: Katharine Rogers) is a freelance writer and copy editor originally from the UK but now living in Stockholm, Sweden. When not working on her latest WIP – historical fiction set in Yorkshire during the Second World War – she is a co-host of the online historical fiction

Karin is an autistic mathematician, and writer of science fiction, fantasy and thrillers. After twelve moves within the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the UK, she settled in the Garden of England (a.k.a. Kent). As a writer/reader, she is passionate about diversity – any kind – but, more than

Born in New York, and raised in Toronto, Jill Culiner, writer, social critical artist, and photographer has spent most of her life in France, England, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, Holland, and North Africa. Her photographic exhibition about the First and Second World Wars, La Mémoire Effacée, toured

Lily Lu is a budding author of fantasy and science fiction stories.

Steve Rush’s experience includes tenure as homicide detective and chief forensic investigator for a national consulting firm in the field of forensic and environmental pathology and medicine. Once hailed as, “The best forensic investigator in the United States” by the late Joseph L. Burton, M.D

I was born in the south but grew up in Virginia, returning briefly to North Carolina to complete my bachelor’s degree in business. I’ve spent my professional life to date in sales and marketing positions, and as an entrepreneur. Along the way, I discovered my passion for people is only exceeded by

A.P. Harper writes to make sense of the beautiful mess that is being human. Her work leans into themes of memory, identity, and the quiet spaces we don’t always talk about—but often feel. Whether in novels or short stories, she gravitates toward characters who are lost, searching, or on the edge of

I live in Ottawa, Canada, with my wife, two cats, and a writing dream. With a degree in political science, I love travelling and seeing the world.

Citizen of the world, happiest planning, plotting and getting lost in stories.

Renda Knapp is a thriller writer who spent over 25 years delivering babies and delivering justice—on the page, that is. After earning her medical degree from the University of South Florida, she juggled surgical instruments, stethoscopes, and seven children before adding "novelist" to her already

Hi, I'm Sophie — a marketer and copywriter by day — and aspiring author by night. I'm currently writing my debut women's fiction novel about a single girl in her thirties who is navigating dating, friendship and fertility. I am also the founder of Story She Wrote — an online community for women

I am a neurodivergent (OCD since childhood), award-winning writer of Gothic fiction and creative nonfiction that explores mental health, motherhood, and family life with themes of resilience, hope, and finding beauty in the struggle. My novel, THE BONES OF HOPE, won two Claymore Awards at Killer

Jane lives in New Zealand with her young family. She has a PhD in early modern English history, a BA (Hons) and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland. She has published in academic journals, and is a volunteer baker for NZ charity Good Bitches Baking. Her work has received the Claymore

I’m a queer writer and psychotherapist exploring the quiet places where fear and humanity meet. My writing lives at the intersection of horror and introspection, stories rooted in the tension between the visible world and the emotional undercurrents that shape us. I’m fascinated by how grief, memory

Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian

Kathryn Woof spent 15 years living in South East Asia, before moving back to the UK in 2024 and now calling Hampshire home. She is interested in novels that challenge set narratives and which create heroines who are relatable but defy convention. Writing women's fiction, book club fiction, and

Stevie Turner is a British author of Romantic Suspense, Humour, Paranormal, and Women’s Fiction (family dramas). She won an inter-schools' essay competition at the age of 11, and this gave her encouragement to write further. She has now written 15 novels, 6 novellas, 1 memoir, and 18 short stories

A former English Teacher who hung up his chalk (well, whiteboard markers) to pen a few of his own words. Loves folklore-inspired horror, dystopian fiction and of course sci-fi; but more than anything - and unsurprisingly - loves a literary surprise, where genre and blurb are little more than cursory

Stevie Rae Diehl is a Romance Writers of America award-winning author with seven contest wins, four runner-up placements, and a Best of the Best title in the 2018 Golden Opportunity contest, along with dual-finalist honors in the 2019 Golden Heart. Previously published under the pen name Evie Drae

Kate is a conservation ecologist from New Zealand with a passion for writing and storytelling. Over the past decade, she has worked in various environmental roles from contracting to consulting to research. She holds degrees in various aspects of the natural and physical sciences, and is currently

Vikram Kapur has published three novels—The Assassinations, The Wages of Life and Time Is a Fire. His short stories and essays have appeared in World Literature Today, Litro, Beloit Fiction Journal, The Hong Kong Review, Mekong Review, Ambit, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, the Los Angeles Review of

I am an LGBT son of Cuban immigrants. My experience of being a double minority (queer & latinX) and son of a national psychologist radio host/author for Latin Americans (Dr. Isabel Gomez-Bassols) taught me to have a high level of compassion for others. My mother has consistently used her national

I have a Master of Science Degree in Instructional Technology with an emphasis on technical writing. In 2022, I was shortlisted by Jericho Writers for their annual Friday Night Live competition.

Len Cobb is an emerging author and recovering structural engineer. He has completed two novels and is polishing two more. He's had a short story published and his work was longlisted in the 2023 Page Turner Awards. Len lives in Puerto Rico with his wife, two dogs, three guitars, and four

Steve Rush’s experience includes tenure as homicide detective and chief forensic investigator for a national consulting firm in the field of forensic and environmental pathology and medicine. Once hailed as, “The best forensic investigator in the United States” by the late Joseph L. Burton, M.D

At last, I am retired and can concentrate full-time on writing. Inspired by my work as a psychotherapist, my novel, Raven's Wing, is now complete and is submitted here. It's very loosely based on a true story and set in 1980s Scotland, during the final years of the large psychiatric hospitals and

Jace Parker – Resilience Expert, Crime Scene Investigator, and Author of Thrive in Chaos Jace Parker is a resilience expert, seasoned crime scene investigator, and the author of Thrive in Chaos – a brutally honest guide to building unshakeable mental toughness. Drawing on over 20 years of experience

Frederick Douglass Reynolds is a retired Black LA County Sheriffs Department Homicide Sergeant. He was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia and, grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he became a petty criminal and was involved in gangs. He joined the US Marine Corps in 1979 to escape the life of crime that he

At last, I am retired and can concentrate full-time on writing. Inspired by my work as a psychotherapist, my novel, Raven's Wing, is now complete and is submitted here. It's very loosely based on a true story and set in 1980s Scotland, during the final years of the large psychiatric hospitals and

Edson Knapp, M.D. is a board-certified radiologist with a fellowship in oncologic imaging and intervention, currently on staff at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska. Born and raised in Tanzania, East Africa, Dr. Knapp brings authentic cultural insights to his debut thriller novel set in Kenya

Jane lives in New Zealand with her young family. She has a PhD in early modern English history, a BA (Hons) and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland. She has published in academic journals, and is a volunteer baker for NZ charity Good Bitches Baking. Her work has received the Claymore

Vikram Kapur has published three novels—The Assassinations, The Wages of Life and Time Is a Fire. His short stories and essays have appeared in World Literature Today, Litro, Beloit Fiction Journal, The Hong Kong Review, Mekong Review, Ambit, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, the Los Angeles Review of

British debut novelist who began his working life as a waiter, but since has had a varied career in financial services, documentary film production and the travel industry. He has two adult sons, and when not writing he sings in a barbershop group and plays ('field') hockey on the international

Jane lives in New Zealand with her young family. She has a PhD in early modern English history, a BA (Hons) and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Queensland. She has published in academic journals, and is a volunteer baker for NZ charity Good Bitches Baking. Her work has received the Claymore

Erin L. Swann is an avid home cook who has taught visual art for eighteen years in Central Maryland. She recently became an online writing instructor for Authors Publish and has given several free online lectures through them as well. Her work appears in numerous anthologies and publications

Lily Lu is a budding author of fantasy and science fiction stories.

I am a London-based writer of speculative fiction.

I am a London-based writer of speculative fiction.

Born in 1977. From Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland. Fledgling author, full-time dreamer.

I live in London and I work for the NHS. The Light Beyond The Mountains is inspired by my own experience as a second-generation immigrant, as I spent my teenage years not knowing where I truly belonged. I visited Mussoorie – the majestic Himalayan setting of my story – as a teenager and it left a

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

Karin is an autistic mathematician, and writer of science fiction, fantasy and thrillers. After twelve moves within the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the UK, she settled in the Garden of England (a.k.a. Kent). As a writer/reader, she is passionate about diversity – any kind – but, more than