Hilary was a staunch supporter of countless first-time novelists, so the prize will focus on work in progress from unpublished writers, with the aim of offering the mentoring and financial support to assist the best of the next generation in finishing their work. AM Heath will be working with the publisher John Murray and creative writing charity Arvon.

The winner will receive a cash prize of £7,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray and a place on an Arvon residential writing course.

The runner-up will receive £2,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray, and a place on an Arvon masterclass.

The panel of five judges will be chaired by the bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell.

The Hilary Mantel Prize is open to writers aged 18 and over resident in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland).

Entrants must not have previously published a novel or novella and must not be represented by a literary agent at the time of submission.

Entry fee: Free to enter.

Find out more here

Deadline: 31st December 2025