The JKP Writing Prize 2022

 

 

We are pleased to announce that the JKP Writing Prize is back! This year, the prize will be open for submissions on the topic of

 

STORIES OF RESISTANCE

 

 

The UK has a long history of injustice directed at people from minoritised groups – whether it’s through everyday acts of aggression or institutional discrimination on a wider scale.

But over the years, generation to generation, people from minoritised communities have fought back, engaging in advocacy, activism, and acts of resistance to combat the discrimination they face and create positive change. We want to hear these stories of resistance:

 

• Stories that give voice to untold British history

• Stories handed down by grandparents and families

• Stories of individual bravery and humanity

• Stories of community activism

• Stories which make us rethink British identity

• Stories still being created today

 

Do you have a story to tell?

 

We understand the act of sharing stories of resistance is not always easy. We will thoroughly read and consider every entry in an atmosphere of humility, sensitivity, and empathy.

 

What we’re looking for

 

This competition is open to people from Black, Asian, Mixed heritage and ethnic minority groups.

 

Writers must be over 18 and a resident of the UK. Submissions must be non-fiction and of no more than 3,000 words. Submissions must be original pieces and must not have been published elsewhere before (including online and self-published). Unfortunately, we are not accepting fiction or poetry entries at this time.

 

What is the JKP Writing Prize?

 

The JKP Writing Prize was conceived in 2019. As a company that prides itself on amplifying marginalised voices, it offers the chance for new and un-agented writers to be considered by a panel of published authors and professional editors. The winning pieces will be published in an anthology, and winning writers will also receive a cash prize of £150.

 

In 2020, the first JKP Prize was open to transgender and non-binary writers with the theme of ‘trans every day.’ The winning pieces were published in Transitions, which has since been included in the Reading Agency’s World Book Night scheme.

 

How does it work?

 

The JKP Prize is partnering with Hachette’s Future Bookshelf scheme, which offers support to aspiring writers from under-represented backgrounds. Submissions will be received via Submittable, a portal on the Future Bookshelf website.

The JKP Writing Prize will be open for submissions from 12^th September – 11^th November 2022. Shortlisted submissions will be judged by a panel of published authors, JKP editors and an independent judge.

 

Who will be judging the JKP Writing Prize?

 

The Writing Prize submissions will be read and reviewed by a panel of judges: JKP commissioning editors Sarah Hamlin and Masooma Malik, JKP authors Onyinye Udokporo and Susan Cousins, and UK black history educator and cultural commentator Kayne Kawasaki.

 

Enter the JKP Writing Prize 2022

 

Submit your original piece through the Submittable portal below.

 

Submissions will close at 11:59 PM on 11^th November 2022. If you have any issues or questions, please email writingprize@jkp.com

 

You can find the full terms and conditions here.

Susan Cousins is a Senior Counsellor working in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Cardiff University. Her recent projects include the #Itooamcardiff, where Susan worked with a group of students at Cardiff University to amplify black and minority ethnic students’ voices on campus, and the BME+ Book Café, an initiative which strives to create safe space to explore culturally diverse literature. Susan’s book, ‘Overcoming Everyday Racism‘ was published in 2019. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onyinye Udokporo grew up in Edmonton in London and was diagnosed with dyslexia aged 11 when she won a scholarship to a private school in West Sussex. She has tutored other young people since she herself was 12 and in 2020 was awarded as one of the top 10 black students in the UK (ranked no.7) by Rare Recruitment in partnership with University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and as one of the top 150 Future Leaders by Powerful Media in partnership with HSBC and the University of Oxford. Onyinye’s book, ‘Dyslexia & Me‘, will be published later this year. 

 

 

 

 

 

Kayne Kawasaki is a UK Black History educator and cultural commentator from Peckham, London. After starting his career as a secondary school teacher, Kayne moved on to create factual, historical and statistical content about race relations on social media, attracting thousands of followers on several platforms and featuring on Tiktok’s nationwide BHM billboard campaign in 2021. He has been a consultant for events and organisations, such as English Heritage and Notting Hill Carnival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Hamlin is Senior Commissioning Editor for JKP’S Healthcare list and for Yoga, Bodywork and Pilates at Singing Dragon and Handspring. She leads the acquisitions team’s working group on race and ethnicity, which looks at ways to diversify JKP’s publishing program and remove barriers to representation Follow @SarahNHamlin on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Masooma Malik is an Editorial Assistant for Singing Dragon and joined JKP in April of 2020. She is also Chair of Hachette’s Muslim Employee Network. Outside of work, Masooma volunteers for The Lantern Initiative, a grassroots organisation focussed on Muslim mental health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the daily bite of anxiety as you go to leave the house, to the freedom found swimming in the wild, through to moments of queer rage and joy and the peculiar timeslip of reliving your adolescence, the stories in this collection reveal the untold lived realities of trans people to help inform, inspire and unite. Spanning a range of topics such as gender dysphoria, transphobia, chest binding, gender reassignment surgery, coming out in later life, migration and love and relationships, these unique first-person accounts celebrate the beauty and diversity of being trans and will empower others on their journey.

 

Jessica Kingsley Publishers will donate at least 5p per book sold to Gendered Intelligence (registered charity no. 1182558).

Learn more about The Writing Prize 2020’s anthology below.