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Desai shortlisted for Authors' Club's Best First Novel Award

22.03.11 | Katie Allen

Costa First Book-winning novel Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai (Beautiful Books) has been shortlisted for the Authors' Club's Best First Novel Award of 2011.

Also on a six-strong shortlist comprising three indie publishers, is the Orange-longlisted Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson (Sceptre) and John Llewellyn Rhys Prize-winner The Still Point by Amy Sackville (Portobello).

Chair of judges, Suzi Feay, said: "From a very strong longlist of 12 books it was difficult to prune, but after a tense discussion six titles clearly came to the fore. We have a wonderfully diverse shortlist.  . . . All these authors have the potential to go on to brilliant careers."

The Authors' Club Best First Novel Award is presented to the most promising debut novel issued by a British publisher in the previous year.

The £2,500 winner will be announced at Waterstone's Piccadilly on 14th April 2011. This year's guest adjudicator is novelist Joanne Harris, who will select the winner from the shortlist.

The shortlist in full:

Farundell by L R Fredericks (John Murray)
Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson (Sceptre)
London Triptych by Jonathan Kemp (Myriad Editions)
The Still Point by Amy Sackville (Portobello)
Dry Season by Dan Smith (Orion)
Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai (Beautiful Books)
 
 

• Authors' Club's Best First Novel Award
• Beautiful Books
• John Murray
• Katie Allen
• Myriad
• Orion
• Portobello
• Prizes
• Sceptre