T. L HASEEB WINS THE 2025 JOFFE BOOK PRIZE
‘I am still in a state of blissful shock’: T.L. Haseeb wins the 2025 Joffe Books Prize for unagented crime writers of colour.
Joffe Books is delighted to announce the winner of the Joffe Books Prize 2025: T.L. Haseeb, for The Portrait Maker, the first in a gripping new police procedural series featuring Amber Kash, a seasoned British Asian Detective Inspector in her forties. She receives a two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books, a £1,000 cash prize and a £25,000 audiobook deal from Audible for the first book. This is one of Britain’s biggest crime prizes.
The Joffe Books Prize for Crime Writers of Colour was established in 2021 to discover talented new writers from Black, Asian, Indigenous and minority ethnic backgrounds, who remain underrepresented in crime fiction publishing, and to support them in building sustainable careers.
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of commercial fiction, with a special focus on crime and mystery, and is known for working closely with authors from all backgrounds to produce digital bestsellers.
This year celebrates the fifth year of the prize. Submissions included historical mysteries set in far-flung climes, gritty police procedurals, fast-paced speculative thrillers, shocking domestic suspense and witty cosy mysteries.
The judges included award-winning crime writer Vaseem Khan, author most recently of James Bond spin-off Quantum of Menace; award-winning crime fiction commentator, book reviewer and blogger Ayo Onatade; The Bookseller Deputy News Editor Heloise Wood; 2023 Joffe Books Prize winner Renita D’Silva; and Joffe Books Editorial Director Rachel Slatter.
Together, the judges considered each manuscript in terms of both the strength of the writing and its bestselling potential, and unanimously awarded the Joffe Books Prize 2025 to T.L. Haseeb.
From the judges: “We were all hooked on this fresh, original and incredibly tense police procedural from the very first line. The set-up of the story is fun, unsettling and very entertaining, the pacing is superb, and we all fell in love with Amber – it’s a pleasure to read from her warm, wry perspective.”
T.L. Haseeb was born and bred in the greatest city on Earth, Birmingham. She began her career writing short films and worked as a storyline writer for ITV, before turning to novel writing. She developed The Portrait Maker on the Curtis Brown “Writing Your Novel” course, where she was awarded a full scholarship.
T.L. Haseeb says: “The last time I won anything was the under 8 school beanbag race, so I am still in a state of blissful shock. I must thank Joffe Books for their dedication to bringing new voices to the fore and recognising that wider perspectives can enrich us all. I feel honoured to be given this incredible opportunity.”
Rachel Slatter says: ““It’s been a joy and a privilege to be able to read this year’s fantastic submissions, but as soon as I read T.L.’s fantastic police procedural I knew we had something special on our hands. A very intriguing plot, fantastic pacing, strong tension, and a main character readers will want to root for – all that plus a killer first line. What could be better? Congratulations on your worthy win, T.L.!”
The synopsis reads: “Detective Inspector Amber Kash has seen it all — until a celebrity psychologist from a true-crime documentary walks into her station, claiming to have witnessed a murder committed by a woman who’s been dead for years. The alleged killer is the very victim whose death the film crew had been investigating. Reluctantly pulled into a twisted, chilling case, Amber begins unravelling a web of secrets involving the crew, a powerful media empire and a mysterious ‘cursed’ portrait. But as the body count rises, she’s forced to wonder — is she hunting a manipulative murderer, or is something far darker at play?”