Curtis Brown Creative and the Curtis Brown Literary Agency, in partnership with the Women’s Prize Trust and Audible, have announced the 2025 longlist for the Discoveries Prize, a novel-writing development initiative for unpublished women writers in the UK and Ireland.
The longlist of 16 writers was selected from over 2,600 entries and includes a wide range of genres—from folklore-inspired fantasy to gripping thrillers and literary historical fiction.
Judged by an all-female panel featuring award winning authors, the longlist was chaired by Kate Mosse CBE, international bestselling novelist and Founder Director of the Women’s Prize, and her judging panel: acclaimed authors Dreda Say Mitchell, Chloe Timms and Claire Kohda, Curtis Brown literary agent Jess Molloy and Curtis Brown Creative’s founder Anna Davis.
Among the sixteen longlisted writers are two African voices: Muti’ah Badruddeen, a Nigerian writer, and Nigerian-British writer and poet Nosa Novia.
The 2025 Discoveries longlist also includes:
- Sophie Black
- Ciara Corrigan
- Shaiyra Devi
- Jac Felipez
- Anwen Kya Hayward
- Maria Jackson
- Reema Kausar Majid
- Harriet Matthews
- Beena Nadeem
- Anna Kitty O’Connor
- Rosie Rowell
- Suman Sandhu
- Gabrielle Sidlauskaite
- Lauren Van Schaik.
All 16 longlisted authors have been invited to attend a bespoke online Discoveries Writing Development course running over two weeks this summer. The course is designed and hosted by Curtis Brown Creative, with expert tuition from author Charlotte Mendelson and a pitching session with agents from Curtis Brown. Longlisted writers have also been awarded a one-year Audible subscription.
Each shortlisted writer will receive a mentoring session with a Curtis Brown agent and free enrolment in a six-week online course from Curtis Brown Creative (worth £230). One exceptional writer will be named the Discoveries Scholar and awarded a fully funded place on the three-month Writing Your Novel course (worth £1,900).
The overall winner will receive a £5,000 cash prize and be offered representation by the Curtis Brown Literary Agency, along with a personalized year-long mentorship.
Now in its fifth year, the Discoveries Prize is open to all women writers aged 18 and above who are writing in English and reside in the UK or Ireland, or are part of the international diaspora. Entrants submit the opening 10,000 words of a novel-in-progress, along with a synopsis.
The Discoveries 2025 shortlist of six writers will be announced on Thursday 15 May, with the winner announcement following on Thursday 29 May.
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Congratulations Muti’ah Badruddeen, Nosa Novia and other longlisted authors!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
