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Indie publishers have scooped half the nominations on the longlist for this year’s Desmond Elliott Prize, with two showings from Tindal Street Press, including Costa First Novel winner Raphael Selbourne’s Beauty.
Stablemate Before the Earthquake by Maria Allen made the 10-strong list, plus The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott (MacLehose Press), The Shadow of a Smile by Kachi A Ozumba (Alma Books) and Costa First Novel shortlistee The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (Atlantic).
James Daunt, Observer literary editor William Skidelsky, and author Elizabeth Buchan comprise this year’s judging panel for the prize, which was set up in honour of publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott to support new writers.
A shortlist of three for the prize, worth £10,000, will be revealed on 26th May, with the winner announced on 23rd June.
The longlist in full:
The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott (MacLehose Press, Quercus)
Before the Earthquake by Maria Allen (Tindal Street Press)
The Hungry Ghosts by Anne Berry (Blue Door)
Rupture by Simon Lelic (Picador)
The Shadow of a Smile by Kachi A. Ozumba (Alma Books)
Talk of the Town by Jacob Polley (Picador)
The Breaking of Eggs by Jim Powell (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Designs for a Happy Home by Matthew Reynolds (Bloomsbury)
Beauty by Raphael Selbourne (Tindal Street Press)
The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (Atlantic Books)