First Chapter
Now in its 12th year, our annual Women’s Prize × Grazia First Chapter competition, which the Women’s Prize delivers in partnership with Grazia magazine provides a starting point for first-time writers and seeks the next literary star. Every year, we ask a renowned author to provide the first 100 words of a story and first-time writers are invited to complete it. The author and editors at Grazia judge the competition, and the winner receives a year’s mentorship from an author, a tutored Arvon course and an invitation to the Women’s Prize for Fiction Awards Ceremony in London.
Previous First Chapter Competition authors have included Rosamund Lupton, Kate Mosse, Rachel Joyce, Sarah Waters, Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, Maggie O’Farrell, Paula Hawkins, Gail Honeyman and Diana Evans.
First Chapter 2022 launched with a wonderfully intriguing story started by Tayari Jones, former winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Click here to read Tayari’s starting paragraph and for further details on this year’s competition.
Our 2021 winner was Naomi George, who impressed the judges with how she how set up a promising tale with a twist. You can read her winning story, with author Dorothy Koomson’s starting paragraph, here. On winning the competition, Naomi George said: “I’ve written since I was a kid but I didn’t think that it was for me to be a published writer. But after 2020, I thought I would just try because you never know. . . And I did, and I won First Chapter, and so it means so much. I am being mentored by Dorothy Koomson, who is an amazing bestselling author. It’s an incredible opportunity.”
With a prize package designed to further develop writing skills and confidence through mentorship, First Chapter is a great way to kick-start your writing career, as well as experiencing the buzz of getting your work published. Former First Chapter winners have gone on to have flourishing writing careers, like Luan Goldie, whose first novel Nightingale Point was published in 2019.
Interested in entering and looking for some creative tips to get the ball rolling? Scroll on for some writing features – or watch Dorothy Koomson and fellow judge Emma Rowley chatting in an inspiring IG Live here.
More on First Chapter
Read our 2021 winning Grazia First Chapter Competition story
This year’s First Chapter Competition, delivered in partnership with Grazia magazine, was our 11th annual competition – and our second…
First Chapter Competition 2021: Runner-up Imogen Tazzyman
Imogen Tazzyman, 36, from Bollington, Macclesfield, works in advertising. She has wanted to be a writer ever since she won…
First Chapter Competition 2021: Runner-up Savitri Patel
Savitri Patel, 37, works for an education charity and lives in Leicester. After entering the First Chapter competition to see…
From First Chapter to First Novel: Luan Goldie
Luan Goldie was born in Glasgow but has lived in East London for most of her life. She is a…
Features
2020 Grazia First Chapter winner Abigail Moss, on writing and support
In October 2020, we announced the winner of our tenth annual Women’s Prize x Grazia First Chapter Competition with a…
‘A Real Stand-Out Moment in My Life’: Sue Wallman
The journey to publication took eight years for Sue Wallman, and picked up pace when she won The Women’s Prize…
Maia Jenkins: On winning our 2019 Grazia First Chapter Competition
Maia Jenkins is a writer currently living and working in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize,…
Writing tips from Paula Hawkins
The brilliant Paula Hawkins, author of the bestselling The Girl on the Train, is judging the 2018 Grazia and Women’s…
