Funding The Women’s Prize Discoveries Programme
The Marks Family Charitable Trust is generously supporting Discoveries 2026, the Women’s Prize Trust’s pioneering writer development programme and prize dedicated to championing the next generation of women novelists.
Launched in 2020 in partnership with Audible, Curtis Brown Literacy Agency and Curtis Brown Creative, Discoveries was created to address the unique challenges faced by women writers. The programme seeks out, inspires and supports unagented and unpublished women across the UK and Ireland as they take their first steps toward writing a novel. Distinctively open, accessible and completely free, Discoveries invites writers to submit the opening of their novel - up to 10,000 words - along with a synopsis and a short personal statement. Entrants are not required to have completed a manuscript, removing one of the most significant barriers to early-stage writers.
Thanks to the support of the Marks Family Charitable Trust, Discoveries 2026 will continue to offer its prize money to the winner of the award, a transformative gift that helps a writer start their journey. This partnership also enables the Women’s Prize Trust to expand its offer of meaningful development opportunities, supporting key events which connect emerging authors with expert guidance, industry insight and a nurturing community.
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'Discoveries came at a pivotal moment for me, as I was about to start querying my novel for the first time. Being longlisted was the best possible launchpad I could have had as I began to send out my work, and I signed with my agent within a couple of months. Apart from being a very welcome vote of confidence in my writing, Discoveries has introduced me to some truly amazing agents and writers, not to mention a cohort of up and coming female novelists I cannot wait to grow alongside.’
Harriet Matthews - September 2025
Image Copyright The Women’s Prize Trust
Further Links
To find out more about Discoveries, head the Women’s Prize website