The Discoveries programme 2024 shortlisted writers are here!
Each has worked hard on their novel-in-progress, dazzling the judges with their characterisation, creativity and originality. The six shortlistees are:
- Niamh Connolly for Game Theory
- Alison Dudeney for Marsh End: The Darkness That Follows
- Alice Fletcher for The Hungry Dark
- Zeynep Kazmaz for Viscid Residue
- Georgia Moorhouse for Henry
- Nalisha Vansia for Not This Again
Let’s find out more about each of them!
How does it feel to be shortlisted for Discoveries 2024?
It feels wonderful. You have to have a lot of self-belief as a writer, especially when you don’t have an agent or a publishing deal – it’s generally just you at your desk believing in your project – so having this incredible panel of judges championing my novel is a lovely boost of confidence.
Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or your novel-in-progress?
West Cork. It’s the most beautiful place in the world. It’s my home. Many writers gravitate there. And when my narrator has to move to Ireland as a child, she finds herself living in West Cork.
Norwich has also become special to me. My Masters at UEA brought me to Norwich, and it’s the place where I started this novel and it will be the place where I finish the first draft.
Where do you like to write?
Either at home or in a library. I like the idea of writing in a café, but I get too distracted by people around me. If I go to the library, I have to sit at a desk facing a wall or a window, so that everyone behind me disappears.
How does it feel to be shortlisted for Discoveries 2024?
I had to read the email from Discoveries 2024 several times for it to sink in! I still have to pinch myself, but I am absolutely thrilled and very proud that Marsh End has been Shortlisted. Having my novel-in-progress Longlisted was a complete surprise, there are so many undiscovered talented writers out there, so I feel incredibly lucky that my work has now been Shortlisted amid such fierce competition. The news has supercharged my motivation to finish my novel.
Who is your favourite female novelist and why?
My favourite female novelist is Claire Keegan. There are a number of others vying for that position; Hilary Mantell, Rachel Sieffert and Maggie O’Farrell, but currently Claire Keegan has the top spot. Her ability to tell a story economically is a lesson in not saying too much. Her writing allows space for the reader, which feels really respectful. So Late in the Day is a fine example of this. Reading her work has taught me so much about storytelling.
Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or your novel-in-progress?
Marsh End is set in Woldwick, a fictitious coastal village in Suffolk, based on Dunwich, a favourite walking haunt of mine. It is an atmospheric place, with wide skies, lonely beaches, crumbling cliffs, salt marshes, heathland and forests and an abundance of wildlife and birds.
1948 finds twenty-six year old Iris living in this isolated landscape traumatised by her wartime experiences. When someone from her past arrives, disturbing the fragile peace she has found, her sense of morality is challenged.
How does it feel to be shortlisted for Discoveries 2024?
I’m absolutely thrilled to have made the shortlist and can’t wait to be able to share the news. Writing can be a solitary process, so this kind of encouragement and community makes the world of difference. It makes me want to pick up a pen and keep writing!
What initially inspired your novel-in-progress?
I was thinking about what it would be like to experience true darkness for the first time. And then about the circumstances that would make that possible. What if stepping foot into the dark meant certain death? What if monsters were real and the dark was where the human world bled into theirs? What if there was no electricity to keep you safe?
Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or your novel-in-progress?
I wrote the first pages of this novel by the sea in a place called Cooden, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a beautifully sunny weekend and, somehow, that helped me find my way into this story about the dark.
How does it feel to be shortlisted for Discoveries 2024?
I think I’m still in shock. This is genuinely the most exciting thing to have ever happened to me – I never thought anyone would read my words, let alone like them! For people (both authors and agents) whose work I’ve admired for so long to enjoy my writing is such an incredible honour.
What initially inspired your novel-in-progress?
When I moved to London, I unexpectedly found myself in a world that felt very alien to me – gallery openings, film screenings, overall schmoozy events – and felt that I was both in the midst of it and on the sidelines. That feeling is what got it going.
Who is your favourite female novelist and why?
Sheena Patel! I think she’s the most exciting new author. I loved I’m A Fan, which just felt so raw and witty and resonated with a deeply buried part of me. Reading it was actually what made me think ‘right, it’s okay to let it all out’ and start writing.
What initially inspired your novel-in-progress?
I have no scientific qualifications beyond a dual science GCSE, but I’m increasingly fascinated by how beautiful and poetic the physics of the universe seem – when I read Carlo Rovelli’s book on quantum mechanics (Helgoland), especially the line ‘the abyss of what we do not know is always magnetic and vertiginous’, I knew I wanted to write about the universe through the lens of interpersonal relationships, love and obsession.
Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or your novel-in-progress?
I was at the Hay Festival when the first line of my book came to me. Hay-on-Wye is such a magical place for book lovers and I think it’s impossible not to be inspired while wandering through such a dizzying array of bookshops.
Where do you like to write?
I love to write in cafes, the hustle and bustle is great for my concentration. I especially enjoy when all the tables are full of people typing / scribbling away, a roomful of people all creating in the same space at the same time. Wine bars are also excellent when the muse needs a little more encouragement!
What initially inspired your novel-in-progress?
The first iteration of Not This Again was a short story I wrote years ago about a teenage girl in 80s England figuring out her place in the world. From there, I realised I had more I wanted to grapple with and started to have fun with it, sitting down and planning out something bigger. Usually I get bored of my ideas quickly, so that I had the patience to carry on with this, and continue to enjoy working on it, means something to me.
Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or your novel-in-progress?
I had fun exploring vibrant, sparky cities that are heaving with history and change when writing this — London and Berlin being two big ones. But on a quieter, homelier note, the East Midlands will always hold a special place in my heart, as where you’re from tends to.
Who is your favourite female novelist and why?
I adore Arundhati Roy for the sublime craft of her writing, marrying poetic, unforgettable prose with careful narrative shaping. Two other novelists that I can’t forgo mentioning are Anita Desai and Nella Larsen, both of whose works I could joyfully and endlessly excavate, finding new revelations with each re-read.
