John Dean – Crime Writer

Joffe Books, winner of Trade Publisher of the Year at the 2026 Independent Publishing Awards, has opened submissions for the 2026 Joffe Books Prize, which sees a talented writer of colour awarded a prize package that includes a two-book contract, a £25,000 Audible audiobook contract for the first book, a £1k cash payment and a two-year membership of the Society of Authors.

The aim of the competition, which was established in 2021 and is now in its sixth year, is to discover and launch talented British crime writers from Black, Asian, Indigenous, and minority ethnic backgrounds, who are not represented by a literary agent. Writers who live in the UK, as well as British citizens, are eligible to enter the prize.

Aspiring authors are only required to submit the first 10,000 words of their novels, along with a synopsis, meaning the competition is open to both completed drafts and works in progress. 

This year’s Joffe Books Prize judging panel includes Dhonielle Clayton, COO of We Need Diverse Books, and New York Times bestselling author; literary agent Shanika Hyslop; award-winning Scottish author Adam Oyebanji; and Rachel Slatter, Joffe Books’ editorial director. 

Authors who write all flavours of crime — from electrifying psychological thrillers and domestic suspense, to cosy mysteries and gritty police procedurals — can submit the first 10,000 words of their potential novel online until 30 September 2026.

The shortlist will be announced in October, with the winner being unveiled in November.

Joffe Books is one of the few publishers that maintain open submissions all year round for authors and agents, but this prize was set up specifically to encourage submissions from diverse voices.

Jasper Joffe, CEO and publisher of Joffe Books, said: “When we launched the Joffe Books Prize six years ago, our aim was to help create meaningful, long-lasting change by actively seeking out writers from communities that are underrepresented in our genre. I’m already looking forward to meeting this year’s winner and supporting them and their long-term career.”

Full competition guidelines and terms and conditions are available on the Joffe Books website at http://www.joffebooks.com/