John Dean – Crime Writer

There is still time to enter one of the UK’s biggest writing competitions, which seeks to find the next best-selling crime writer of colour.

The aim of the competition, which was established in 2021  by the crime publisher Joffe Books and is now in its sixth year, is to discover and launch talented 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 for the prize.

Authors are asked to submit the first 10,000 words of their novel and the winner will be offered:

A two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books

A £1,000 cash prize

£25,000 Audible audiobook contract for the first book

A two-year membership to the Society of Authors

The closing date is September 30, 2026, and 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. 

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

You can find out more in the News section at http://www.joffebooks.com