Writing prizes are massively important for aspiring and emerging writers. I think they are vastly more important than literary prizes. So many aspiring writers don’t have access to publishing intel, or connections to agents or editors. Instead, they have manuscripts containing worlds and characters we haven’t yet seen, stored away on their computers (or indeed in their drawers; let’s not forget that not everyone has a computer). Being able to bypass the machinations of the publishing industry by simply submitting your story to be read by someone who knows talent when they see it is important for so many reasons. Even if you don’t win, there’s something to be said for finishing a piece of writing and just sending it off.
I say all this because last week, Merky Books, the imprint launched by rapper Stormzy, opened applications for its new writers’ prize for the second year in a row. The winner is published by Merky, and all of the longlisted authors are invited to a writers’ camp which is effectively the place to learn pretty much everything about writing and publishing. Trust me, I was on a panel at the writers’ camp last year and stayed there to learn about an industry I’d been in for just under a decade. And the greatest thing about entering these prizes is that even if you don’t win, your words are still seen. You are still seen.
