JOFFE BOOKS PRIZE 2025
THE JOFFE BOOKS PRIZE 2025 OPENS SEARCH FOR THE NEXT BESTSELLING CRIME WRITER OF COLOUR.
Marking five years of the Joffe Books Prize, submissions are now open Until 30 September 2025 for unagented crime writers of colour.
The Joffe Books Prize 2025 is open for submissions!
Now in its fifth year, the Joffe Books Prize was created to discover and launch unagented crime writers from Black, Asian, Indigenous, and minority ethnic backgrounds.
It calls on crime fiction writers and covers all genres: electrifying psychological thrillers, to cosy mysteries, gritty police procedurals, twisty chillers, unputdownable suspense mysteries and shocking domestic noirs.
This year’s Joffe Books Prize judging panel includes award-winning crime writer Vaseem Khan; Ayo Onatade – award-winning freelance crime fiction commentator, book reviewer and blogger, and Associate Member of the Crime Writers’ Association; crime writer Renita D’Silva – winner of the 2023 Joffe Books Prize; and Heloise Wood – Deputy News Editor at The Bookseller. Further judges to be confirmed.
The winner will be offered:
A two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books
A £1,000 cash prize
A £25,000 Audible audiobook contract for the first book
A two-year membership to the Society of Authors
HOW TO ENTER:
Submit the following to prize@joffebooks.com:
A short pitch for your book
A detailed synopsis
The first 10,000 words of your manuscript (written in English)
A short author biography
Deadline for submissions is 30 September 2025, 23.59 GMT.
Late entries will not be accepted. Read the full Terms & Conditions here.
This prize is open to UK residents and British citizens (including those living abroad).
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.
ABOUT JOFFE BOOKS:
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of commercial fiction, with a special focus on crime and mystery.
Known for working closely with authors to produce bestsellers, Joffe Books has published hundreds of books, sold more than millions of copies globally, and works with acclaimed authors including Joy Ellis, Faith Martin, Cath Staincliffe, Steena Holmes and Meeti Shroff-Shah.
Awarded Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards (2023) and shortlisted five years running for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards, Joffe Books continues to champion diverse and brilliant voices.
While Joffe Books maintains open submissions year-round, this prize is a dedicated effort to address the underrepresentation of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic authors in crime fiction publishing.