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Titchmarsh to launch novelist contest
09.05.11 | Katie Allen
HarperCollins has teamed up with ITV1's "The Alan Titchmarsh Show" to find "The People's Novelist".
The competition to track down a new commercial fiction talent was launched today (6th May) on the afternoon show and will run through to the autumn. Bestselling novelist Cathy Kelly is to head the three-person judging team, which also includes Titchmarsh, plus one other unconfirmed judge.
Kelly said: "I'm simply thrilled to be a part of the People's Novelist competition. There's a wealth of wonderful talent out there, so many marvelous writers who are just waiting for a chance to be published . . .
"This competition is about nurturing wonderful talent and giving a marvelous new author a chance to shine."
Lynne Drew, HarperFiction publisher, added: "Already a hugely generous mentor to aspiring writers, Cathy is the perfect person to work with the show to discover new talent. Her warmth, empathy and huge talent for storytelling mean that she will help to pick out a future star."
The chatshow linked up with Orion in 2009 to find "The People's Author", with first-time writer Nicky Hodgkinson winning with her true-life book Life with the Lid Off.
Authors can submit their entries over the summer, with the final 12 contestants to appear in a series of heats during a week in the autumn. The final winner will be chosen by the judges and will win a one-book deal with HarperFiction, plus an advance of £10,000. Their novel will be published in 2012.
Full details for applicants will be listed on the website for the show.
"The Alan Titchmarsh Show" is broadcast every day at 3 p.m. on ITV1. The current series ends on 12th May and returns in September.
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Why is it always fiction, when will non-fiction authors be included?
Non Fiction were done last year by The One Show.
This is the first mainstream television competition like this that I've seen that is just for Fiction.
As the article states above, the winner of the 2009 People's Author competition was a true life story...
Yes, non fiction was promoted in the same show in 2009 and not only the winning author was published 2 other authors titles were also picked up from this competion and published by Orion.
eeeeughh. This sounds awful.. The people are awful. The people's novelist will be awful. Alan, however, strikes me as very good gardener. Awful writer though.
Surely Louis Ferdinand-Celine is the people's novelist?
Good grief. That's all we need more katie price wannabes or more Poor me my life sucks so now you should read about it -books. Can't some one explain to these people - if you have sent your work off to a publishing house and they have rejected you, IT IS FOR A REASON! Your Dad, Mum, and your dog may love your work, no one else wants to read it.
Sorry to be so blunt, but someone has to say it.
Richard & Judy ran a competition in association with Pan Macmillan called How To Be Published in 2005, won by Christine Aziz's The Olive Growers. Four runners-up were also given publishing deals and one of them, Rachel Zadok, made it onto the Costa First Novel Award shortlist, with Gem Squash Tolokoshe.
Well despite the link, there's nothing on the ITV website about this competition,the rules, requirements prize, contact address. Am I missing something?
Hi June B. I've tracked down a better link and replaced it. It's also here: http://www.itv.com/termsandconditions/competitionsandvotes/alantitchmars... katie.allen@bookseller.co.uk
Anon256 you are making a lot of assumptions there. You are expected to read a book before assessing the content. It's not a 'poor me my life sucks' It's more like 'wow my life is fab'
I have only submitted to one publisher, and got a very positive response so will be re-submitting after a polish. I have had 190 positive comments on Harper collin's website-Authonomy.com but non-fiction is not for everyone. I can't imagine even Katie Price wants to be Katie Price - Plastic paps and no brains is not evryones goal in life!
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