British-Nigerian writer Abimbola Omisore has been announced as the winner of Simon & Schuster UK’s New Chapter Award, securing a two-book publishing contract with a six-figure advance.
The writer was selected unanimously by the judges following a competition that attracted more than 500 submissions across different genres. The competition produced a longlist of 11 writers before five authors advanced to the shortlist. They were:
- Parveen B
- Michelle Chellar
- Victoria Bello
- Kiran Kaur Grewal
- Abimbola Omisore
Reacting to her win, Omisore said:
“I am so grateful to have been selected as the New Chapter Award winner. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a writer, to create stories with real characters, real emotions, and a love you can’t help but root for. I would like to thank Sabah and the rest of the New Chapter team for creating this award and highlighting that writing doesn’t just have to be a dream for people who look like me. I cannot wait to bring these stories to life here at Simon and Schuster.”
Born and raised in Peckham, South East London, Abimbola Omisore writes commercial fiction stories with diverse characters centred around love. Her debut novel will be published in 2028 across all formats.
The New Chapter initiative was created by Simon & Schuster UK to widen access to commercial publishing for unpublished writers of colour who do not have literary agents. The winner receives a two-book publishing contract, while the initiative also provides opportunities for shortlisted writers to receive mentoring from the fiction team at Simon & Schuster UK.
Sabah Khan, Publicity Director at Simon & Schuster UK, said the number of entries reflected interest among writers from unrepresented backgrounds in securing publication. In his words:
“This project has been such a joy to work on, the support we got from within the industry has meant the world. Seeing over 500 submissions from authors from unrepresented backgrounds shows me that there is a real desire for these stories to be published. I hope we have gone some way to demystifying the world of publishing. The calibre of the longlist from debut writers was astounding, and I am so proud to welcome Abbi to the S&S family.”
Nancy Adimora, who took part in judging the award, also praised the quality of the shortlisted submissions and Omisore’s winning novel. She said:
“Judging this prize was an absolute joy, and it was incredible to see the range of submissions. With such a strong shortlist, I was prepared to go to battle for Abimbola’s story, but I’m so glad I didn’t have to. We all agreed it was a beautifully executed and deeply satisfying novel, and a reminder of just how much talent is out there. I can’t wait for readers everywhere to enjoy this one, and I hope, as an industry, we continue to find new ways to broaden our search for exceptional stories.”
Omisore’s debut novel is expected to reach readers in 2028. The two-book agreement will see her work published by Simon & Schuster UK, while the mentoring programme will give the other four shortlisted writers further opportunities to develop their fiction with the publisher.
Congratulations, Abimbola Omisore!
