We are over the moon to announce our 2024 Discoveries winner Niamh Connolly with her story of on-again, off-again love, Game Theory.
Niamh was chosen from almost 3,000 entries for her story that deals with bereavement, friendship, financial disparity, miscommunication and loneliness.
As the winner of the prize, Niamh receives an offer of representation by Curtis Brown and a cash prize of £5,000. In July, she will also join Curtis Brown Creative’s bespoke two-week Discoveries Writing Development course, alongside the fifteen other writers longlisted for Discoveries 2024. This will be tutored by the acclaimed author and former Women’s Prize shortlisted writer, Charlotte Mendelson.
I’m so happy. This is just the best news, and the best boost of confidence that any writer could hope for. It’s an absolute honour to have my writing recognised by the Women’s Prize Trust and the Discoveries team. I’m so grateful to the judges, the organisers, and the readers behind the scenes, for championing my novel – it means so much to me – thank you.
NIAMH CONNOLLY
Zeynep Kazmaz is announced as this year’s Discoveries Scholar. Her novel, Viscid Residue, explores a relationship between two people from fundamentally different backgrounds, as a woman struggles to find home and herself as an immigrant in London.
Zeynep grew up in Istanbul, and now runs a printing company. She wins a scholarship place on a three-month ‘Writing Your Novel’ course with Curtis Brown Creative, where she will receive expert tuition to further develop her novel.
Zeynep said: ‘When I first came across Discoveries, it felt so much like the big leagues that I almost didn’t submit anything. Having now been named the Discoveries Scholar, it is so surreal. Writing had always been my ultimate goal, but had felt slightly out of reach. This experience has been the biggest nod of encouragement to pursue what makes me happiest.’
The Discoveries programme, run by the Women’s Prize Trust in partnership with Curtis Brown literary agency, the Curtis Brown Creative writing school and Audible, aims to find and support aspiring female novelists from across the UK and Ireland.
A huge congratulations to Niamh, Zeynep and all of the writer’s longlisted for Discoveries 2024.
The works-in-progress of both our winner Niamh Connolly and scholar Zeynep Kazmaz both had everything to intrigue and engage a reader – a strong sense of place, distinctive characterisation, accomplished writing, strong emotion and exquisite storytelling. Most of all, each of the judges could not wait to follow these two very different stories through to the end.
KATE MOSSE, CHAIR OF JUDGES
