ATTENTION ALL CRIME AND THRILLER WRITERS! Why wait to make crime pay?  Is there a manuscript in your bottom drawer just waiting to be finished? Have you got a burning idea for the perfect crime . . . on paper?

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural annual Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize. The winner will be awarded a publishing contract with an advance against royalties of $AUD25,000.

The prize will be open to all unpublished full-length manuscripts in the crime or thriller genres between 70,000 and 100,000 words in length written by citizens and residents of Australia and New Zealand. Both debut writers and already-published writers will be eligible to enter.

Entries are open from August 31, 2020 and close on February 26, 2021.

The winning novel will be announced in September 2021 and published the following year.

Allen & Unwin publisher Jane Palfreyman is excited to see what undiscovered gems the award will uncover: ‘The appetite of readers for quality crime fiction has never been so high, and Australian and NZ crime writing is flourishing here and around the world. At Allen & Unwin we have been consistently thrilled by the response to our award-winning and bestselling crime list, and are keen to expand it by discovering strong voices and new talent. We feel the Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize is the perfect way to support ANZ writers and give our readers more of what they love.’

For regular updates and details on how to enter, follow A&U Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About Allen & Unwin

Allen & Unwin proudly publishes a broad range of local and international authors. Our bestselling list is full of brilliant award-winning crime writers including Chris Hammer, Sarah Bailey, Rose Carlyle, Charity Norman, Kerry Greenwood and Michael Connelly.  A&U has offices in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and London, and a global network of connected partners.

For further information, please contact Abba Renshaw on AbbaR@allenandunwin.com.