2020 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers Longlist

After receiving over 800 entries to the 2020 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers, we are delighted to announce the 22 writers on this year’s longlist.

Hachette Australia, along with the Richell family, is honoured to present the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers for 2020, in partnership with The Guardian Australia and The Emerging Writers’ Festival.

The 2020 longlisted writers are:

Kate Clinch-Jones, The Dream Weavers Apprentice

Alice Cook, Sunshine Grey

Brydie Cook, The Meadows

Ellen Cooke, The Fool

Zoe Downing, After the Snow

Phillippa Finkemeyer, Time to Leave

Karli Florisson, Brooksiana

Benjamin Forbes, The Boy Who Wept Rabbits

Hannah Foster, Fortuna

Sarah Frances, Mesophyll

Zahid Gamieldien, The Children

Colleen Goth, The Bus Stop at Paradise Beach

Mark Hennessy, Cities of Refuge

Kerry Jewell, Meddies

Lisa Kenway, All You Took From Me

Natalie Laharnar, The Fractured Woman

Scott Limbrick, Flaring Out

Kate Mayne, The River

Dinuka McKenzie, Taken

Josephine Scicluna, Thin House

Aisling Smith, Petrichor

Louise Surette, Your Mess is Mine

The winner will receive $10,000 in prize money, to be donated by Hachette Australia, and a year’s mentoring with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. Hachette Australia will work with the winning writer to develop their manuscript with first option to consider the finished work, and the shortlisted entries, for publication.

As well as promoting the Prize, The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. The prize will also be supported by Simpson Solicitors and Joy.

The 2020 judging panel includes Vanessa Radnidge, Hachette Australia publisher; Hannah Richell, bestselling author; Jon Page, bookseller at Dymocks Sydney and Galina Marinov, Member Services Development Manager at the Australian Booksellers Association.

The shortlist will be announced on Monday 5 October, with the winner will be announced on Friday 6 November.

This prize brings together a group of people who know what a huge supporter of emerging writers Matt Richell was. Without the writers there would be no prize – so congratulations to everyone on the longlist.