News | Friday, 2nd September 2016

Novella Award 2016 shortlist announced

Winner to be revealed at experimental fiction festival

THE SHORTLIST for this year’s Novella Award, co-organised by the university’s Department of Contemporary Arts, has been announced.

The shortlisted novellas are:

• Amphibian by Christina Neuwirth (Edinburgh)
• no provenance by Jonathan Flieger (Canada)
• Ruin by Jacques Tsiantar (Altrincham)
• Wild by Joma West (Exeter)

This year the award ceremony will take on a flavour of the unique, interdisciplinary creative writing practice taught and researched at Manchester Metropolitan University's Cheshire campus with a vibrant and lively festival launch to open the ceremony. Words At Play is curated and produced by Cheshire’s Creative Writing staff and will host an ‘off the page’ celebration of writing at the Cheshire campus.

A series of short story prizes for students and members of the local community will also be awarded.

Launched in 2014, The Novella Award aims to find the best up-and-coming writer of a short novel. It is awarded to a previously unpublished work of fiction, between 20,000-40,000 words in length.

The venture is a partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University’s Department of Contemporary Arts, at the Cheshire campus of the University and the Screen School of Liverpool John Moores University. Sandstone Press, Time to Read, and NAWE are all partners of the award and work alongside it to encourage the publication of new writing.

The winning novella will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication by award-winning Scottish independent publisher Sandstone Press. The runner-up is awarded £500 and a reader’s report.

The Novella Award winner will be announced at the University’s Axis Arts Centre in Crewe on November 24.