Novel London Competition 2021 Winners
We had over 300 entries this year and we are proud to present this year's winners of the Novel London Literary Competition.
Bren Gosling
1st Prize
Bren Gosling is an Alumnus of City University’s Novel Studio. Shortlisted for Exeter Novel Prize. Finalist for Luke Bitmead Award. Bren’s writing appears in numerous anthologies including The London Short Story Prize and Brighton Prize. He is three times winner of City Writes Short Story competition. Last year, in 2020, he made the shortlist to the Novel London Literary Competition.His play Moment of Grace inspired by Princess Diana’s opening of Britain’s first AIDS Unit won the 2020 NO: INTERMISSION One Act Play Competition.
Bren’s play PROUD inspired by The Street Sweeper runs at New Wimbledon Theatre Autumn ‘21.
Thomas McKenzie
2nd Prize
"When it came time to compose my first novel, I decided to ‘write what I know.’ So I told a story of the people I’ve known. A tale racism and loss, of ignorance and manipulation, hope and hatred. I wanted to talk about the people who’ve been caught up in webs of power. In thinking about them—and the men who sometimes dominate these poor souls—the most realistic image I could imagine was of the immortal vampire. I’ve known vampires, I’ve worked for them, and I’ve even been a bit of one myself. This vampire story, Rector, is my attempt to tell the truth in the most honest way I can: as a tale of the undead."
- Thomas McKenzie, 2021
Arathi Menon
3rd Prize
Arathi Menon is an author and a columnist based in London. Pan Macmillan, India published her first book, a memoir, Leaving Home With Half A Fridge.
Her middle grade novel, A Mystery at Lili Villa was published by Yali Books in July 2021. She has had a few short stories published and been on a few longlists and shortlists including the Penguin Write Now programme, Faber FAB Prize, Ivan Juritz Prize, United Agents 100X100, the BPA First Novel Award. She completed her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction from UEA.
Judges for The Novel London Literary Competition 2021
Okechukwu Nzelu
Okechukwu Nzelu is a writer and teacher.
In 2015 he was the recipient of a New Writing North Award.
In 2020 his debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and the Polari First Book Prize.
He lives in Manchester and is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University.
Photo credit: Martin Glackin
Sairish Hussain
Sairish Hussain was born and brought up in Bradford, West Yorkshire. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of Huddersfield and progressed onto an MA in Creative Writing.
Sairish completed her PhD in 2019 after being awarded the university's Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship. Her debut novel, The Family Tree, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award.
She is now writing her second book.
Jon Barton
Jon Barton edits for The Literary Consultancy and teaches for City Academy Ltd and Iconic Steps.
He is a London-based screenwriter with ten years’ experience as a dramatist, writing plays, continuing drama for the BBC, and new work for children and young people. His work has been produced onscreen and onstage at major London venues, including The Old Vic and The Almeida. He’s part of the BFI NETWORK x BAFTA Crew 2021, and his current spec screenplay was recently optioned by Northern Ireland Screen.
His debut novel, Dive, will be published next year.
