We’re looking for our next bestselling author — and it could be YOU!

At Joffe Books, we want to see many more diverse voices in commercial fiction! So, with a view to acquire from writers who identify as LGBTQIA+, we’re delighted to announce #JBPridePitch, the next instalment of the Joffe Books Twitter pitch party series, this Pride Month. It will take place on Thursday 13 June, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. GMT, and we are particularly interested in reading romance and fantasy.

While this pitch party is specifically to amplify queer voices this Pride Month, we are always looking to see more submissions from writers who identify as BAME, LGBTQ+, working class and/or have disabilities. So we’d love to hear from you in our open submissions all year round!

HOW IT WORKS

On Thursday 13 June, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. GMT, tweet us your pitch in 280 characters or less, using the #JBPridePitch hashtag. You can also indicate your novel’s genre by using the optional hashtags listed below.

If we ‘like’ your pitch, that means we want to see more and welcome you to send three chapters and a synopsis to office@joffebooks.com.

WHO CAN SUBMIT

This Pride Month, we want to invite writers who identify as LGBTQIA+, a community typically underrepresented in the publishing industry, to participate.

We would like to read pitches from any LGBTQIA+ writer working on a novel in one of our favourite genres of commercial fiction (see below), who has written at least three complete chapters and a full synopsis, ready to submit if we ask for it.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The pitch tweet should be no more than 280 characters. If we ask to see more from you by ‘liking’ your tweet, please submit three chapters and a synopsis of the whole story, including spoilers (no more than one page).

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We want to see punchy pitches that immediately grab us with an addictive plot, a fresh voice and characters we want to root for.

We are looking for pitches in one of the following genres:

• Fantasy

• Historical romance

• Romance contemporary/romcom

• Women’s fiction

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

If we have ‘liked’ your pitch and received your chapters and synopsis, the acquisitions team will read them and be in touch with you by Friday 28 June to let you know if we’re interested in seeing more.

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FAQ

Do I have to have completed my full manuscript to enter?

No. All you need are three chapters and a one-page synopsis ready to share. But you should be able to show in your synopsis that you have a clear idea of how the action of the plot will develop until the end of the book.

Can I pitch multiple novels?

No. Only your strongest work, please.

Can I give multiple pitches for the same novel?

No. Please only tweet one pitch for your novel.

If I’ve already submitted my book to the Joffe open submissions, can I pitch it?

Absolutely!

If my book was previously self-published, can I pitch it?

Yes, go for it.

Can I participate even if I don’t live in the UK?

Yes, we are a global publisher with authors from all over the world. So long as the manuscript is written in English, we will happily consider your pitch.

Can I pitch outside the requested genres?

No. We are specifically looking for romance and fantasy, and we are not acquiring novellas or short story collections, YA or children’s, non-fiction, or anything paranormal. Please do not pitch any of these genres.

I can’t be on Twitter on that day, what do I do?

You can schedule your pitch tweet so you don’t miss out.

My pitch was ‘liked’! What’s the next step?

Please email your first three chapters and synopsis to office@joffebooks.com. We will write back to everyone who is asked to submit these by Friday 28 June to let you know if we’re interested in seeing more.

My pitch wasn’t ‘liked’. What should I do?

Don’t be defeated! There are still ways to get your book noticed. You can also submit via our open submissions. What we connect to during the pitch party depends on a host of factors. Some pitches are more in line with what the acquisitions team are looking for right at that moment. Some writers are more practiced at pitching than others. Some books are simply easier to pitch than others.

We actively encourage you to keep writing, keep honing your pitch and keep trying to get published.

OPTIONAL HASHTAGS TO DESCRIBE GENRE/THEME

Please find a list of hashtags below, to help identify your pitch’s genre at a glance.

 #FA = Fantasy

 #HR = Historical romance

 #RCR = Romance contemporary/romcom

 #WF = Women’s fiction

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Joffe Books celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary last week with a charming garden party attended by many friends and authors! The Joffe Team is very excited for what is to come in the next 10 years!

We are delighted to announce that Becky Slorach has been appointed as the new head of Choc Lit, continuing the fantastic work carried out by Emma Grundy Haigh.

Jasper Joffe, CEO of Joffe Books, says: “We welcome the immensely experienced Becky Slorach as our new head of Choc Lit. She brings vast knowledge of the romance market from her time at Mills & Boon, wonderful commitment to her authors, and she will continue Emma’s amazing work on the list with the brilliant team we have in place. As we grow and develop, I am very proud to see Joffe people continuing their progress both outside and inside the company, bringing our relentless focus on publishing the best books and reaching the most readers. What an epic journey we’re on.”

“I am delighted with this fantastic new opportunity from Jasper. The Choc Lit team at Joffe Books are passionate and creative, and we work with wonderful authors, publishing romance. I am thrilled to be able to continue to develop this as Head of Choc Lit, and I am looking forward to taking our romance list to its next stage, bringing more romance to more readers.” Becky Slorach

Becky Slorach will take over Emma Grundy Haigh’s role as head of Choc Lit from 14th June, reporting to new Joffe Managing Director Emilie Marneur from September.

READ MORE VIA THE BOOKSELLER

The Joffe Books Prize is looking for a talented new crime fiction writer of colour, with one of the UK’s largest literary prizes for the winner.

This year the Joffe Books Prize judging panel includes A.A. Chaudhuri, bestselling author of She’s Mine, and literary agent Gyamfia Osei from Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

The prize invites submissions from unagented authors from Black, Asian, Indigenous and minority ethnic backgrounds writing in crime fiction genres including: electrifying psychological thrillers, cosy mysteries, gritty police procedurals, twisty chillers, unputdownable suspense mysteries and shocking domestic noirs.

The winner will be offered a prize package consisting of a two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books, a £1,000 cash prize, and a £25,000 audiobook offer from Audible for the first book.

The submission period ends at midnight on 30 September 2024.

HOW TO ENTER
Entrants are invited to submit their full-length manuscript, written in English, along with a synopsis of the book and author biography, to prize@joffebooks.com.

This prize is open to UK residents and British citizens (including those living abroad) only. The opening date for entries is 15 May 2024. The competition closes 30 September 2024, 23.59 GMT. No entries received outside this period will be accepted.

Read the full Terms & Conditions here.

ABOUT THE PRIZE
The winner will be offered a prize package consisting of the following: a two-book publishing contract with Joffe Books on its standard author agreement terms; a £1,000 cash prize; a two-year membership to the Society of Authors; a £25,000 audiobook contract with Audible for the first book. The prize is a package and can only be accepted in its entirety.

The prize will be offered to the selected winner. Joffe Books may choose an alternative winner if acceptance is not confirmed within one week.

Northumberland-based Christie J. Newport won the inaugural prize in 2021, followed by Sam Genever in 2022 and Renita D’Silva in 2023. Christie’s winning entry and debut novel, The Raven’s Mark, is available online and in all good bookshops now!

THE JUDGES
The 2024 judges are A.A. Chaudhuri, Gyamfia Osei, Emma Grundy Haigh, Jasmine Callaghan, Jasper Joffe and Kate Lyall Grant. The winner of the competition will be selected by these judges based on the quality and commercial potential of the work.

A.A. CHAUDHURI, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHE’S MINE: “I am so incredibly thrilled and honoured to be a Judge on the Joffe Books Prize Panel. Since its inception in 2021 this fantastic competition, which continues to go from strength to strength, has allowed a plethora of exceptionally talented writers of colour in the crime fiction genre to shine through, and I’m beyond excited to be a part of that process this year.”

GYAMFIA OSEI, LITERARY AGENT: “I'm delighted to be judging the Joffe Books Prize this year alongside A.A. Chaudhuri and Emma Grundy Haigh. The cohort of writers were brilliant last year so I can't wait to dive into the 2024 entries!”

EMMA GRUNDY HAIGH, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR AT JOFFE BOOKS: “The Joffe Books Prize, now in its fourth year, just keeps going from strength to strength. The prize is dedicated to amplifying #ownvoices and publishing truly excellent crime fiction. With Audible’s involvement, it is also the largest prize package for crime fiction in the UK. We have great plans for this year and the addition of Jasmine Callaghan as one of the judges is just the start!”

JASMINE CALLAGHAN, PROJECT EDITOR AT JOFFE BOOKS: “I couldn’t be more excited to join the panel of the Joffe Books Prize. I feel honoured to be taking part in the competition, which is actively addressing the lack of diversity in publishing and amplifying underrepresented voices with real passion. I know this is going to be the best year yet.”

ABOUT A.A. CHAUDHURI
A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer, turned thriller writer. She is the author of The Scribe and The Abduction, featuring feisty lawyer Maddy Kramer. Her first highly acclaimed psychological thriller, She’s Mine, was named the L.J. Ross Book Club pick of the month. Alex lives in Surrey with her family. Besides being an avid crime fiction reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!

ABOUT GYAMFIA OSEI
Gyamfia Osei represents an array of brilliant authors writing across adult and children's books, including Dean Atta, Busayo Mataluko and Frances Mensah Williams. She is a keen advocate of commercial fiction and, in the crime and mystery space, particularly loves cosy crime, domestic suspense and thrillers with a strong romantic thread. She is always looking for well-plotted, fast-paced narratives with authentic characters who lodge themselves in her mind long after she’s finished reading.

ABOUT JOFFE BOOKS
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of excellent commercial fiction, especially crime and mystery fiction. Joffe Books is renowned for working closely with authors from across the world to create fantastic books and turning them into bestsellers. Since 2014, Joffe Books has published more than 500 books by more than 70 authors and has sold over 10 million books. The publisher’s roster of award-winning authors and New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestsellers includes Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Robert Goddard, Rick Mofina, Volker Kutscher, Simon Brett and Stella Cameron. Joffe Books won Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2023 and was a finalist for Publisher of the Year at the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards 2023 and shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2024 for the fifth year in a row.

While Joffe Books maintains open submissions for all authors, this competition is designed to offer an opportunity to Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers, who are particularly underrepresented in crime fiction publishing.

Click here to go to our submissions page.

We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for the CWA Dagger award for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher!

The prestigious CWA Daggers are the oldest crime fiction awards celebrating the greatest authors and publishers in the crime writing genre. We’re truly honoured to be part of such a fantastic list.

The winners will be announced on 4th July. For more information, visit the website.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Joffe Books has won The People’s Book Prize 2024 for BEST PUBLISHER!

A sincere thank you to our wonderful readers and dedicated authors for your unwavering support.

Here is what the Judges had to say:

Founded in 2014 by Jasper Joffe. The publisher has a history of innovative publishing and is known for discovering new talent as well as bringing overlooked books back to life.

Each new title is edited with passion and each new cover is designed with a keen eye on how the book will reach its readers. Joffe Books have signed debut novelists and well-established authors. Their authors have become some of the most read in the UK, consistently topping the Amazon Kindle and Audible charts for weeks at a time with every new release.

We’re thrilled to be longlisted for the CWA Dagger award for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher!

The prestigious CWA Daggers are the oldest crime fiction awards celebrating the greatest authors and publishers in the crime writing genre. We’re truly honoured to be part of such a fantastic list.

The shortlists for the awards will be announced at the CrimeFest convention on 10th May and the winners will be revealed on 4th July. For more information, visit the website.

As Joffe Books celebrates its tenth year, we are delighted to announce the hiring of Emilie Marneur as our new Managing Director. Emilie is currently Director of audience and business development at Bonnier Books UK. Previously Editor in Chief at Amazon Publishing, she has an immensely impressive track record in digital publishing and was originally hired by Bonnier to set up their highly successful new digital-first imprint Embla Books, launching the careers of many bestselling authors including Patricia Wolf and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett.

Emilie’s new remit will see her propelling Joffe Books’ ambitious plans for further growth into global markets as well as continuing to seek new acquisitions and strategic opportunities.

CEO Jasper Joffe says: “I wanted one person for the job, and I am so delighted she said yes. Emilie brings tremendous experience which can help us continue our journey to becoming a global publishing force with an unerring focus on delivering great books to readers.”

Emilie Marneur: “I’ve been watching Joffe Books grow for the past ten years with admiration, and have always loved their focus, passion and dedication. I am thrilled to be joining the team at such an exciting point in their journey. I couldn’t be prouder of Embla Books and am deeply grateful for all the opportunities Perminder and the team at Bonnier Books UK have given me since I’ve joined. I will miss them all but know they will continue to thrive and am really looking forward to this new adventure.”

Perminder Mann said: “Since joining us in late 2020, Emilie’s contribution to Bonnier Books UK has been exceptional. As a key change maker for our group, her audience and data-driven approach has helped our digital and audio publishing soar to new heights, and our marketing and publicity teams flourish. We will miss her enormously as she embarks on this exciting new chapter of her career, and we extend our heartfelt thanks and best wishes for the future.”

Emilie will take up the position on September 4th.

ABOUT JOFFE BOOKS

Joffe Books was founded in 2014, when Jasper Joffe agreed to publish his mum’s much-rejected romance novel — and turned it into a bestseller. Ten years on, Joffe Books has grown from just one employee to a team of twenty. We’re extremely proud to publish some of the very best writers in the world, including Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Caro Ramsay, Helen Forrester, Simon Brett and Robert Goddard. Everyone at Joffe Books loves reading and we never forget that it all begins with the magic of an author telling a story.

We won Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2023. We have been shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards for the last five years, and were shortlisted for the Diversity and Inclusivity Award at the 2022 Independent Publishing Awards. In 2023 we were shortlisted for Publisher of the Year at the RNA Industry Awards. In 2021, we founded the largest prize in the UK for crime fiction by under-represented authors.

For media enquiries or further information, please contact: Hanna Myers. hanna@joffebooks.com

Joffe Books will celebrate its tenth anniversary in May with a fabulous garden party at the Royal Over-Seas League in London for authors, agents and all those who have contributed to our incredible journey over the past decade. Attendees will receive exclusive tenth anniversary Joffe tote bags and mugs.

The celebrations include a specially commissioned Bookseller cover by renowned contemporary artist Adam Dant, released on 12 April. We will also be offering a competition for readers to win a year’s worth of books.

The Bookseller cover highlights the company’s phenomenal revenue growth of 3,350% since it was founded by Jasper Joffe in 2014.

In 2023, we became Britain’s largest independent publisher (by title count) with the acquisition of Lume Books and Choc Lit, publishing across all genres of fiction, as well as non-fiction.

With 100,000 loyal readers on our mailing list, we never forget that they are at the core of everything we do. We are asking readers to share fifty words describing their favourite Joffe book of the last ten years. The best one will receive a fantastic prize of £500 worth of books (a year’s worth of captivating reading).

Founder and CEO Jasper Joffe says: “As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we remain committed to our founding principles of championing exceptional books and fostering meaningful connections with our readers. Our ten-year anniversary is a testament to the passion and dedication of our incredible team, as well as the loyalty of our readers who have joined us on this extraordinary journey. And finally, I want to say thank you to our amazing authors for trusting us with their precious books. It’s an honour to publish you.”

THE JOFFE BOOKS STORY

Joffe Books was founded in 2014, when Jasper Joffe agreed to publish his mum’s much-rejected romance novel — and turned it into a bestseller. Ten years on, Joffe Books has grown from just one employee to a team of twenty. We’re extremely proud to publish some of the very best writers in the world, including Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Caro Ramsay, Helen Forrester, Simon Brett and Robert Goddard. Everyone at Joffe Books loves reading and we never forget that it all begins with the magic of an author telling a brilliant story.

We won Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2023. We have been shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards for the last five years, and were shortlisted for the Diversity and Inclusivity Award at the 2022 Independent Publishing Awards. In 2023 we were shortlisted for Publisher of the Year at the RNA Industry Awards. In 2021, we founded the Joffe Books Prize, the largest prize in the UK for crime fiction by under-represented authors.

Despite our incredible growth, we are proud to maintain our fiercely independent spirit, flexibility and resolutely author- and reader-focused approach.

We are bursting with pride to announce that Editorial director Emma Grundy Haigh has been shortlisted for Editor of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards! Many congratulations on this well-deserved recognition for your dedication to shaping incredible stories!

The Bookseller wrote: “Editorial director Emma Grundy Haigh was at the heart of an exceptional year for Joffe Books. She took on romance imprint Choc Lit after it was acquired in early 2023, reassuring authors, revitalising marketing and multiplying sales. She also found time to edit elsewhere at Joffe and run its Books Prize.”

The winners will be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, London, on 13th May 2024. For more information, visit the website.

We're honoured to be shortlisted as Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards! We would like to extend a huge thank you to our incredible authors for entrusting us with their stories and to our amazing readers for their unwavering support!

The Bookseller wrote: '“Joffe Books is shortlisted for the fifth time in a row. After acquiring romance list Choc Lit and digital publisher Lume in 2023 it can claim to be the UK’s largest independent publisher by title count. Other massive numbers in 2023 included 3.5 million books sold in digital and print and more than one billion pages read on Kindle Unlimited. “

The winners will be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, London, on 13th May 2024. For more information, visit the website.

We are absolutely delighted to share that Joffe Books author Joy Ellis has been listed in the top 50 downloads through Audible in 2023 with gripping crime thriller Guard Her With Your Life.

The brand-new standalone title from Ellis has been described by readers as ‘a strong mystery’ with ‘suspense, intrigue, action, and great detective work’ and follows the unputdownable story of Detective Sam Helsdown.

READ MORE HERE.

GUARD HER WITH YOUR LIFE IS OUT NOW.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF JOY ELLIS’ LATEST BEST-SELLING TITLE THE BAG OF SECRETS HERE

Joffe Books is thrilled to announce the winner of the Joffe Books Prize 2023: Renita D’Silva, for her compelling psychological thriller, The Neighbour. 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 direct response to the paucity of diverse voices being published in crime fiction. Its explicit aim is to actively seek out writers from communities that are underrepresented in our genre and support them in building sustainable careers, while simultaneously discovering brilliant new talent to join our bestselling list.

Since its launch in 2021, the Joffe Books Prize has been enthusiastically received. This year, submissions included gritty climate thrillers and wrenching domestic suspense, pharmaceutical thrillers to cyberpunk detective mysteries.

The judges, including bestselling author Nadine Matheson, literary agent Nelle Andrew and Joffe Books editorial director Emma Grundy Haigh, considered each manuscript in terms of both the strength of the writing and marketability. The judges unanimously awarded the Joffe Books Prize 2023 to Renita D’Silva.

From the judges: “A wide ranging, ambitious cast of characters and stories that interlock but don't overwhelm. It’s varied and interesting and above all controlled and the clear stand-out in terms of both what it promised and what it was aiming to achieve. I really wanted to know about Gemma, Sapna and Edith and above all I cared about what would happen to them and why. The slow boil of discovering each woman's past while the present unfolded, the complex relationships and the hidden histories: it was a joy.”

Renita D’Silva fell in love with stories at the age of six when her father presented her with her very first story books: Andersen and Grimm Fairy Tales. She's published ten historical fiction novels, the most recent of which is The War Child. Her short stories have been published various magazines and anthologies, and been nominated for the Pushcart prize, shortlisted for the LoveReading Very Short Story award and longlisted for the BBC National Short Story award. The Neighbour is her first psychological thriller.

Renita says: “I'm beyond thrilled to win the Joffe Books Prize 2023 and very excited to be signing with Joffe. I feel humbled and privileged to have such a brilliant team backing my books and to be joining such an amazingly talented cohort of writers.”

Emma Grundy Haigh says: “It’s a privilege to have been able to read so many submissions with such fantastic potential, but it was Renita’s brilliant domestic thriller that shone out to me straightaway. It’s immediately hooky, with a breath-taking opening scene. Renita’s forte is in her strong, relatable, well-drawn characters and that delicate prose which effortlessly carries the tension through a web of secrets, lies and betrayal.”

Synopsis: “Newlyweds Amir and Sapna move into an all-white, middle-class neighbourhood on the edge of a bustling town. Their arrival causes a flutter of disquiet among the residents of the quiet cul-de-sac, exposing long-held secrets and upending the fragile harmony that binds them.”

Joffe Books author Caleb Stephens has been awarded Best Psychological Thriller in the 2023 Best Thrillers Book Awards .com with his gripping brand-new title The Girls in the Cabin.

The addictive thriller has been described by readers as “a true tour-de-force, delivering a thrilling and suspenseful ride that will leave you breathless . . . gripping and unforgettable.”

Set in the stunning wilderness of the Colorado Flat Tops, this breathtaking thriller packed with shocking twists will make you question everything you think you know about family.

Many congratulations to Caleb for this award!

PURCHASE THE AWARD WINNING TITLE HERE.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Joffe Books has been shortlisted for Publisher of the Year at the RNA Industry Awards.

The awards celebrate the work and talent of any person, group or organisation that has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction.

Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, commented, ‘For the past five years as Industry Awards Organiser, I’ve witnessed many changes in the world, including the role of social media within the publishing industry, but the passion for romantic fiction remains. It grows stronger by the letter; by the chapter; by each book.

In both self-published and traditionally published novels, industry professionals work together to produce quality happy ever afters, from writers to editors, cover designers and publishers, book bloggers, reviewers and social media experts, narrators, agents, booksellers and librarians. The RNA Industry Awards are our way of thanking and celebrating the hard-working industry professionals. Congratulations to all our finalists.’

The winners of the 10 awards will be announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony on 13th November 2023. Many congratulations to all shortlisted!

Read more here.

We are utterly thrilled to announce two of our incredible authors took home a clean sweep of awards at the annual Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) Conference.

A big congratulations to Katy Turner for winning the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers with her novel LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS!

And a massive congratulations to Sally Jenkins for winning the Elizabeth Goudge Award for her one-thousand-word opening for a novel on the theme: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.

Poker, poverty, and the power of storytelling: 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award longlist revealed

A poker-playing sleuth, a poet’s gritty take on life on Aotearoa’s poverty line, a rural mystery entwined with heart-wrenching exploration of dementia, and the long-awaited return of a master of neo-noir are among the diverse tales named today on the longlist for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel.

Now in their fourteenth season, the Ngaio Marsh Awards celebrate excellence in New Zealand crime, mystery, and thriller writing. They are named for Dame Ngaio Marsh, one of the Queens of Crime of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, who penned bestselling mysteries that entertained millions of global readers from her home in the Cashmere Hills. “I’d like to think Dame Ngaio would be proud of how our modern Kiwi storytellers are continuing her literary legacy, bringing fresh perspectives and a cool mix of fascinating tales to one of the world’s most popular storytelling forms,” says awards founder Craig Sisterson. “In recent years we seem to be going through our own golden age, with our local writers offering a treasure trove of terrific stories for readers at home and all over the world.”

The longlist for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel includes a mix of past winners and finalists, several first-time entrants and new voices, and the long-awaited return of one of the leading lights of the early 2000s New Zealand literary scene. “In crime and thriller writing it’s natural for authors to make it really tough on their characters,” says Sisterson, “but our entrants made it tough on our judges too. This year’s longlist is a wonderful showcase of Kiwi creativity, with a great range of stories that explore some deep and very important issues in among the page-turning intrigue and thrills.”

The Ngaio Marsh Awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. The longlist for this year’s Best Novel prize is: 

• TOO FAR FROM ANTIBES by Bede Scott (Penguin SEA)

• EXIT .45 by Ben Sanders (Allen & Unwin)

• REMEMBER ME by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)

• BLUE HOTEL by Chad Taylor (Brio Books)

• POOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY by Dominic Hoey (Penguin)

• THE DARKEST SIN by DV Bishop (Macmillan)

• THE DOCTOR’S WIFE by Fiona Sussman (Bateman Books)

• MIRACLE by Jennifer Lane

• BETTER THE BLOOD by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster)

• IN HER BLOOD by Nikki Crutchley (HarperCollins)

• THE PAIN TOURIST by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press)

• BLOOD MATTERS by Renée (The Cuba Press)

• THE SLOW ROLL by Simon Lendrum (Upstart Press)

• PAPER CAGE by Tom Baragwanath (Text Publishing)

The longlist is currently being considered by an international judging panel of crime and thriller writing experts from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Finalists for Best Novel, Best First Novel, and Best Non-Fiction will be announced in August, with the finalists celebrated and the winners announced as part of a special event held in association with WORD Christchurch later in the year.

For more information on this year’s Best Novel longlist, or the Ngaio Marsh Awards in general, please contact ngaiomarshaward@gmail.com, or founder and judging convenor Craig Sisterson, craigsisterson@hotmail.com  

The Joffe Books Prize is looking for a talented new crime fiction writer of colour, with one of the UK’s largest literary prizes for the winner. 

The judging panel includes Nadine Matheson, bestselling author of The Jigsaw Man, and literary agent Nelle Andrew. 

The prize invites submissions from unagented authors from Black, Asian, Indigenous and minority ethnic backgrounds writing in crime fiction genres including: electrifying psychological thrillers, cosy mysteries, gritty police procedurals, twisty chillers, unputdownable suspense mysteries and shocking domestic noirs. 

The winner will be offered a prize package consisting of a two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books, a £1,000 cash prize, and a £25,000 audiobook offer from Audible for the first book. 

The submission period ends at midnight on 30 September 2023. 

HOW TO ENTER 
Entrants are invited to submit their full-length manuscript, written in English, along with a synopsis of the book and author biography, to prize@joffebooks.com. 

This prize is open to UK residents and British citizens (including those living abroad) only. The opening date for entries is 1 June 2023. The competition closes 30 September 2023, 23.59 GMT. No entries received outside this period will be accepted. 

Read the full Terms & Conditions here. 

ABOUT THE PRIZE 
The winner will be offered a prize package consisting of the following: a two-book publishing contract with Joffe Books on its standard author agreement terms; a £1,000 cash prize; a two-year membership to the Society of Authors; a £25,000 audiobook contract with Audible for the first book. The prize is a package and can only be accepted in its entirety. 

The prize will be offered to the selected winner. Joffe Books may choose an alternative winner if acceptance is not confirmed within one week. 

Northumberland-based Christie J. Newport won the inaugural prize in 2021, followed by Sam Genever in 2022. Christie’s winning entry and debut novel, The Raven’s Mark, is available online and in all good bookshops now! 

THE JUDGES 
The 2023 judges are Nadine Matheson, Nelle Andrew, Emma Grundy Haigh, Jasper Joffe and Kate Lyall Grant. The winner of the competition will be selected by these judges based on the quality and commercial potential of the work. 

NADINE MATHESON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE JIGSAW MAN: “I’m beyond excited to be judging the Joffe Books Prize. There are so many talented writers and the Joffe Books Prize is the perfect way for the voice of an exciting new writer to be heard. I’m looking forward to being part of the journey.” 

NELLE ANDREW, AWARD WINNING LITERARY AGENT: “I am really excited to be part of the judging panel for this prize. It had such a stellar year last year and I can't wait to discover the next cohort of new voices this year.” 

EMMA GRUNDY HAIGH, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR AT JOFFE BOOKS: “I am thrilled to see the Joffe Books Prize enter its third year — it’s been amazing to see how much it has grown. The prize underscores our commitment to amplifying a far greater diversity of talent, and we’re reaching more crime writers of colour than ever before. With Audible’s involvement, we now also offer the largest prize package for crime fiction in the UK. I can’t wait to dive into this year’s submissions!” 

ABOUT NADINE MATHESON 
Nadine Matheson lives in London and is a criminal solicitor. In 2016, she won the City University Crime Writing Competition and completed the Creative Writing (Crime/Thrillers Novels) Master’s Degree with distinction in 2018. In 2019, Nadine signed with A.M. Heath Literary Agents and her debut crime fiction novel, The Jigsaw Man, was won by HQ (HarperCollins) in a six-publisher auction. The Jigsaw Man was published in 2021 and has been translated into fifteen languages and optioned for television. 

ABOUT NELLE ANDREW 
Nelle Andrew represents an array of internationally bestselling and award-winning authors across both fiction and non-fiction. Among those on her list are Sara Collins (winner of the Costa Debut fiction award), Jing-Jing Lee (a longlistee for the Women’s Fiction Prize and Walter Scott prize), Beth Underdown (HWA Goldsboro Award winner) and six Richard and Judy book club picks, such as the bestselling Heidi Perks, Bryony Gordon and Elizabeth Day. 

Nelle was crowned Literary Agent of the Year in 2021 at The Bookseller Awards; the most prestigious accolade for a literary agent in the UK. Before then, Nelle was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. She is now a Trustee for the Royal Literary Fund. 

ABOUT JOFFE BOOKS 
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of excellent commercial fiction, especially crime and mystery fiction. Joffe Books is renowned for working closely with authors from across the world to create fantastic books and turning them into bestsellers. Since 2014, Joffe Books has published more than 500 books by more than 70 authors and has sold over 10 million books. The publisher’s roster of award-winning authors and New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestsellers includes Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Robert Goddard, Rick Mofina, Volker Kutscher, Simon Brett and Stella Cameron. Joffe Books won Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2023 and was shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2023 for the fourth year in a row. 

While Joffe Books maintains open submissions for all authors, this competition is designed to offer an opportunity to Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers, who are particularly underrepresented in crime fiction publishing.

Click here to go to our submissions page. 

We are absolutely delighted to announce that our beloved bestselling author Gretta Mulrooney has been longlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger award with the gripping historical murder mystery Death at the Dolphin.

Created in 1955, the prestigious CWA daggers serves as the oldest crime fiction awards and honours the greatest authors and publishers in the genre. Past winners include Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell and Chris Whitaker.

The shortlist will be announced at a reception at CrimeFest in Bristol on Friday 12 May and winners on Thursday 6 July.

Best of luck to all the talented authors nominated.