Last time, one author had 7 full manuscript requests.
Searchlight Awards
@writingawards.bsky.social
A competition for un-agented YA and children’s authors, dedicated to discovering exceptional new voices and connecting them with literary agents. https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk/competitions/
Competition deadline approaching. To enter, visit our website.
I’m loving reading this year’s novel and picture book entries. Enter on our website. Link in bio. #writingcommunity
The competition is very exciting this year! #writingcommunity
If you’re working on your entry this week we hope it’s going well. #writingcommunity
If you’re polishing your Novel Prize entry, there’s a little perk to sending it in early. We’re so excited to read what you’ve been working on. 🙂 #writingcommunity
We’re so excited to share who will be choosing the longlist, shortlist and winner for this year’s novel prize. #writingcommunity
If you’d like to apply for a sponsored place, just send us an email. We’ll let you know if a place is available and send a voucher code to use on the entry form. Best of luck with the competition! #writingcommunity
We love this moment every year - when we open for entries. Are you working on a YA or children’s novel you might enter? #writingcommunity
Massive congratulations to our 2021 Best Novel Opening listee (and now Searchlight reader) Olivia Wakeford. What fabulous news! 🥳
Branford Boase Award@branfordboaseaward.bsky.social · 8mo agoHuge congratulations to the 24 authors on the longlist for the 2026 #BranfordBoase Award. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford, the Branford Boase Award highlights debut authors for children at the beginning of their careers. #booksky #KidLitUK branfordboaseaward.org.uk/2026-longlist/
BOOK NEWS. @jax-king.bsky.social and @samanthaleduc.bsky.social teamed up for our Best Illustrated Picture Book 2023 competition. Now their shortlisted book is published! Wow! 🥳 Couldn’t be more proud of our author/illustrator pair. ❤️
Jax King@jax-king.bsky.social · last yr.✨HE’S OUT!✨Stinky Cyril is on the loose! 😍 @tinytreebooks.bsky.social @samanthaleduc.bsky.social #Kidlit #NewPB #Bears #Funny #Authorly @waterstones.bsky.social @winstonesidmouth.bsky.social 🥳🐻❤️
AGENT NEWS. Not one but two offers of representation for our fabulous Best Novel Opening 2024 shortlistee @mcalvani.bsky.social . Wow! Mayra has now signed with the equally fabulous @keslupo.bsky.social of @maasslitagency.bsky.social . What a perfect match! Huge congrats, Mayra.
Mayra Calvani@mcalvani.bsky.social · last yr.I'm still stunned...Over the past 1.5 yrs I sent MANY queries, but the 2 offers I got didn't come from these. The 1st agent read my @writingawards.bsky.social shortlist entry and reached out to me. Then @keslupo.bsky.social, whom I had booked a @iaminprint.bsky.social 121 with, offered.
BOOK NEWS. This story was shortlisted in Searchlight’s Best Picture Book Text 2022 competition - and now it’s a published book! So happy for you @nadineholland.bsky.social . 👏👏👏
Tiny Tree Books 📕@tinytreebooks.bsky.social · 2y agoHappy #PublicationDay, @nadineholland.bsky.social! 📖✨ Mina the Mighty by Nadine Holland and Wenny Stefanie is out now: amzn.to/3ZB8mmI #kidlit
Our super-talented listee Amanda Addison has been shortlisted for The New Angle Prize 2025 with her YA novel Looking for Lucie. We are so proud of her. ❤️
We have decided to take a short break in 2025 to give our entrants time to work on amazing new stories. Our next competition will be opening in 2026. Best of luck with your writing and see you all soon!
Our Winners’ Gallery for Best Novel Opening and Best Picture Book Text 2024 is now live! See who won, read short extracts of the stories… Congratulations to all! 👏👏👏 www.searchlightawards.co.uk/winners-gall...
The moment we sent out our Agent/Publisher Pitch Book of Winning Stories @gavin-crippin.bsky.social started getting interest. ‘Such a great voice!’ was the general opinion. Things moved at lightning speed and we’re delighted to say that Gavin has now accepted representation. Fantastic news! 🥳
BOOK NEWS - We’re seeing Olivia Wakeford’s book EVERYWHERE! 🥳 Back in 2021 My Dog was one of our competition entries and our readers fell in love with it. ❤️Since then Olivia’s joined our reading team and she’s brilliant at selecting stories for the longlist, too. Massive congrats, Olivia.
AGENT NEWS! Huge congratulations to the winner of Searchlight’s Best Picture Book Text 2024 @tomwriting.bsky.social . ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tom Lancaster@tomwriting.bsky.social · 2y agoI’m delighted to share that I’m now represented by Georgia Tournay-Godfrey at The Bright Agency! 🥳🎉🍾 I’m SO excited to join the Bright family and can’t wait to start working with Georgia. #kidlit #picturebooks
So excited that my MG gothic horror 'Violeta's Adventures in Doll-Land' made the shortlist!
Searchlight Awards@writingawards.bsky.social · 2y agoWe are thrilled to announce the results of Best Novel Opening 2024. Congratulations to our final 10! ⭐️🥳 A huge thank you to all our entrants for being brave and allowing us to read your work. It has been a privilege and a pleasure. ❤️ www.searchlightawards.co.uk/best-novel-o...
My first post on BlueSky and what fantastic news I have to share! I've been awarded 2nd Place in the Searchlight Children's Picture Book Text 2024 awards. Thank you to @writingawards.bsky.social , to all the readers and to Lorna Hemingway for choosing Cyril.
I’m thrilled to win @writingawards.bsky.social’s Best Picture Book Text 2024! Huge thanks to Kim Donovan for organising, Lorna Hemingway for judging, and all the amazing readers for this competition. Congratulations to all the other entrants for putting their fantastic stories out there! 🙌🏻
Searchlight Awards@writingawards.bsky.social · 2y agoTom Lancaster has been crowned the winner of Best Picture Book Text 2024. Our judge Lorna Hemingway of Bell Lomax Moreton said Bamboo Hullabaloo was ‘a joy to read aloud due to its excellent rhyme and fast paced nature’. Many congratulations, Tom! 🥳⭐️🍾
