True Story Award For Published Books ~ Opens January 2026 and Closes 30 June 2026!
To celebrate the 2026 release of Finding Penrose, based on our co-founder Paula Sheridan's own true story, we are delighted to introduce this dedicated award for writers with true stories to share.
True Story Award Submission Types
Your true story can be submitted as a:
- Published Book
- Unpublished Manuscript
- Screenplay or TV Script
True Story Award Sub-Categories
Your submission can be entered into any of the following Sub-Categories:
- Against All Odds Award: Extraordinary resilience and survival against impossible circumstances
2. Unsung Hero Award: Everyday people doing extraordinary things, quiet heroism
3. Most Social Impact Award: Stories that drive change, raise awareness, and make a difference
4. 2026 Best True Debut Award: First-time true story writers
True Story Award Sub-Genres
Choose any of these genres:
- True Business: Entrepreneurship, corporate stories, business journeys
- True Coming of Age: Youth, self-discovery, identity formation
- True Crime: Criminal cases, justice stories, investigations, investigative journalism, cold cases
- True Cultural: Immigration, identity, diaspora experiences
- True Drama: Compelling narratives that don't fit other categories
- True Environmental: Climate, conservation, nature-based experiences
- True Exposé: Whistleblowing, political stories, investigative journalism, uncovering the truth
- True Family: Family dynamics, secrets, sagas, multi-generational stories
- True Historical: Events from history, period pieces, wartime stories
- True LGBTQ+: Coming out, identity, community, activism
- True Medical: Addiction, illness, disability, medical journeys, recovery, psychological, mental health, and healing journeys
- True Military: Combat, service, veteran experiences
- True Romance: Love stories, marriage, family relationships
- True Social Justice: Civil rights, activism, inequality, advocacy
- True Spiritual: Faith journeys, loss of faith, spiritual awakening
- True Sports: Athletic achievements, overcoming odds in sports
- True Travel Adventures: Journeys, expeditions, survival, cross-cultural experiences
If you're not ready to submit your true story but need guidance, check out our True Story Masterclass.
Judging Criteria
True Story Award submissions will be judged on the following:
- Emotional Impact & Storytelling - Does the story move the readers (a judge or reader) and demonstrate strong narrative craft?
- Universal Relatability - Can readers connect with the themes and characters regardless of their own experiences?
- Writing Quality - Is the prose engaging, well-structured, and professionally presented?
Please Note: Creative Nonfiction describes a writing style (literary storytelling of true events) rather than a content type. Your submission can fit multiple sub-genres - for example, a memoir written with creative nonfiction techniques, but the choice is yours to select any of the sub-genres. Check out some true story beat sheets.
Special Prizes
The special prizes for this award include:
- A book adaptation of the winning published book or unpublished manuscript
- Or for a winning screenplay, the script will be fully edited
- A pitch deck, pitch letter, or query letter, and a film treatment to fully arm the winner to pitch their true story
- We are also looking for agents and producers who will give the winner a consultation on their story
See our 2026 judging panel below.
2026 True Story Award Judges
As a retired schoolteacher turned script and screenwriter, Stewart Carry's forty-year career included extensive overseas teaching, lecturing, and drama training, which he credits as providing a deep
Humanitarian, published author, entrepreneur, and scientist, Asal Shirazi BEM, Founder of Autoimmune Support and Awareness Foundation, is judging the Page Turner Book Award and hoping to discover
Author Charlotte Valentine is judging the Page Turner Book Award.
After studying Law in London, Charlotte moved into the corporate world where she was a Managing Director in Investment Banking before
Katja Kaine is judging our 2026 Page Turner Awards Book award.
Katja Kaine is a Yorkshire-based writer of feminist YA fantasy novels. She has won multiple awards for writing, including the Northern
Falguni Jain is judging the Page Turner Awards international writing contest. She is an editor and writing consultant. But, most importantly, she is a compulsive reader, who loves to live in the
Experienced editor, Jenny Rarden is judging the Page Turner Book Award (for published books) and our Writing Award (for unpublished manuscripts) and is excited to be involved with this unique
Juan is a Marketing graduate and professional book cover designer with over 10 years of experience. He specializes in creating covers for major platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark
With 26 years of experience in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching, Stuart has developed a deep love of character. His journey began with a passion for comic books, TV, and diverse literature
HeyitsCarlyRae will be judging the 2025 Page Turner Book Awards, hoping to find new talented authors to read.
Carly-Rae has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Harvard University Extension School with a
Pulane (Laney) Chaka is judging Page Turner Awards Book Award for aspiring authors who are looking for their published work to be recognised by industry professionals.
She is a seasoned journalist
Humanitarian Laureate Pramudith D. Rupasinghe is judging the Page Turner Book Awards, hoping to find cultural stories that cross the borders of human interest.
Laureate of the Golden Aster Award for
Rick Holland is judging the Page Turner Book Award for Best Book Cover and hoping to see compelling covers that draw readers in.
Rick is the owner of Vision Press. He has been designing for over 20
Ran Walker is judging the Page Turner Awards Book Award for published authors.
Ran (he/him) is an award-winning author and filmmaker, who has written over 30 books. Specializing in very short
Author Jessica Hatch is judging the 2026 Page Turner Book Award with the hope of finding published novels that wraps her up in the story.
Jessica has a passion for writing laugh-out-loud fiction with
