Now in its sixth year, the Gordon Burn Prize has set a standard for recognising and rewarding some of the boldest and most fearless contemporary writing.
The Gordon Burn Prize was launched in 2012 to remember the late author of novels including Fullalove and Born Yesterday: The News as Novel, and non-fiction including Happy Like Murderers: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West; Best and Edwards: Football, Fame and Oblivion and Sex & Violence, Death & Silence; Encounters with recent art. A literary polymath, Gordon Burn wrote about subjects as seemingly disparate as serial killers, celebrity, sport and art, often blurring the line between fact and fiction.
Run in partnership by the Gordon Burn Trust, New Writing North, Faber & Faber and Durham Book Festival, the prize seeks to reward a published title (fiction or non-fiction) written in the English language, which in the opinion of the judges most successfully represents the spirit and sensibility of Gordon’s literary methods. The winning writer will receive a cheque for £5,000 and the opportunity to undertake a writing retreat of up to three months at Gordon Burn’s cottage in the Scottish borders.
The prize is open to books published between 1 July 2017 and 1 July 2018. Publishers are permitted to submit up to six titles per imprint. Works of translation, books for children and poetry are not eligible for the prize.
Denise Mina won the prize in 2017 for her novel The Long Drop, a darkly exhilarating read that crosses between literary thriller and true crime, and which resets the limits of both genres.
Full entry guidelines are available on the Gordon Burn Prize website
Deadline: 15 March 2018