Press Release: Prizes and Awards
Kitty Fitzgerald And Wendy Robertson To Judge North East New Novelist Competition
Posted at 4:53PM Monday 14 Jan 2008
Newcastle publisher Tonto Books, backed by the National Lottery and the Arts Council, launches its North East New Novelists competition this month, aiming to encourage new writing and generate new opportunities for writers in the North East of England.Two winning novels will be selected by bestselling North East authors Kitty Fitzgerald (Pigtopia) and Wendy Robertson (Family Ties). The winning writers will be offered publishing contracts, and the chance to work with Kitty and Wendy to develop their books before they hit the shops. Both novels will be published by Tonto Books in January 2009. Wendy Robertson, author of more than 20 novels, says, "The idea of the competition is brilliant: the writers it encourages will be sustained in their work whether they 'win' or not. I am so looking forward to working on this. The winners will be lucky in more ways than one." Last year's winner was Newcastle teacher Pete Tanton, whose novel Johnny Lonely is now a hit in bookshops around the country. "Winning the competition has been fantastic for me," says Pete, 39. "It's a great opportunity, and I'd urge all local novelists to pick up their pens and give it a go." The competition is open to writers currently residing in the North East of England who have not previously had a novel published. Entry is free, and full details can be found on the website www.tontobooks.com. The closing date for submissions is Monday 31 March 2008.
http://www.tontobooks.com/writers
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