My daily life, working from home around small children, tethers me to the mile radius around my doorstep. So, when I boarded a plane for Chambéry’s Festival du Premier Roman I felt like a mole blinking in the sunlight. It was years since I’d flown alone, even longer since I’d navigated a new town. I […]
Today marks the publication of Bitter Orange (Fig Tree), the third novel by our 2015 winner Claire Fuller. The novel has already received rave reviews from the Guardian and The Sunday Times and will no doubt go on to garner many more. To celebrate its release, Claire shared some insight into the writing process with […]
It’s that time again to discover another dazzling debut, thanks to our Desmond Elliott Prize alumni. Today we hear from Head of Books and Features for the New Statesman and 2012 judge of the Prize, Tom Gatti. ” “Crassly explicit”; “gloatingly sadistic”; “repulsive”; “a work of unparalleled depravity”. I remember vividly flicking through the quotes […]
Next up in our series of Desmond Elliott Prize alumni’s favourite debuts, we have 2015 winner, Claire Fuller. “I thought it would be impossible to come up with a favourite debut novel of all time. Today, though I can tell you what it is; ask me tomorrow and it might be one of many others. […]
DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE LONGLIST HERALDS “POWERFUL ARRAY OF DISTINCTIVE VOICES” WITH COMMERCIAL AND CRITICAL SUCCESS Longlist includes two Guardian journalists, Xan Brooks and Paula Cocozza, and former Sunday Times Style columnist, Francesca Hornak Indie publisher Galley Beggar Press is longlisted for fifth year in a row with We That Are Young by Preti Taneja The […]
Continuing our series of Desmond Elliott Prize alumni’s favourite debuts, this week we have 2015 judge Viv Groskop. “My favourite debut has to be The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I read it when I was about sixteen which is, I think, the perfect age to discover it. It represents the qualities a lot of great debuts […]
Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be asking Desmond Elliott Prize alumni to tell us about their favourite debut novel of all time. This week, 2016 winner Lisa McInerney shares her love of David Keenan’s This Is Memorial Device. “This is such a tough question to answer, because there are so many […]
Entries are invited for ‘the most prestigious award for first-time novelists’ (Daily Telegraph) in the UK and Ireland, The Desmond Elliott Prize. The £10,000 Prize is presented in the name of the acclaimed publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott, whose personal commitment to finding and nurturing new authors is commemorated with this award. The Desmond […]
Following a panel event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with past-Prize winners Lisa McInerney and Claire Fuller, chaired by author and former Chair of Judges, Chris Cleave, the Desmond Elliott Prize hosted a drinks reception at the Roxburghe Hotel to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The reception was organised in partnership with Scottish Book Trust […]
This month, to celebrate 10 years of discovering dazzling debuts, the Desmond Elliott Prize has partnered with the Edinburgh International Book Festival to bring festival-goers an extra special panel event with past Prize-winners, Lisa McInerney (The Glorious Heresies, The Blood Miracles) and Claire Fuller (Our Endless Numbered Days, Swimming Lessons). The event, which will take […]