Female comic writers have a chance of winning a lucrative book contract as publishers seek to promote women’s voices.
The Comedy Women In Print (CWIP) prize was launched this year to help unpublished female comic writers get into print and have their talent nurtured.
Harper Fiction has now endorsed the prize, founded by comedian Helen Lederer, which offers a publishing deal with a £5,000 advance for the best novel by an unpublished writer.
I name this ship…#CWIP…get in… https://t.co/zdc4BGW6be @Telegraph @HarperFiction #ComedyWomenInPrint #WittyWomen #Funnywomen #Comedy #Writing #Writers #writerscommunity #FemaleFiction #UnpublishedPrize #Announcement #EnterNow #WomenSupportingWomen pic.twitter.com/X7Fe2TF2gU
— Comedy Women In Print (@CWIPprize) December 17, 2018
The runner-up will be offered a free MA course in creative writing at the University of Hertfordshire.
Martha Ashby, editorial director at Harper Fiction, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to support CWIP’s prize for unpublished writers in 2019.
“There are so many hilarious female writers in the UK and this prize is the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on an area of fiction that is often overlooked.”
Submissions are open until February 28 for any female writer over the age of 18 who has completed a novel at least 85,000 words long.
As well as the prize for unpublished writers, there will also be a prize available for published authors, with a fund of £2,000.