Now in its 10th anniversary year, the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair provides upcoming and previously unpublished authors the opportunity to pitch their work directly to publishers and agents, funnelling new voices into the Irish and UK publishing scene and giving writers the opportunity to kick start their career. Submissions for Novel Fair 2022 will be open for one month from Wednesday 1 September and the deadline for entries is Thursday 30 September.

Writers will be invited to submit the first 10,000 words of their manuscript online through Submittable. The entries are all anonymous and will be judged by selected professionals from across the literature sector. 

This year is a landmark year for the competition. Over the past 10 years, Novel Fair has launched a number of hugely successful writing careers, leading to the publication of some of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary novels. Among the titles discovered through the Novel Fair are Beatsploitation by Kevin Curran, Eggshells by Caitriona Lally, Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen, Oona by Alice Lyons, A Quiet Tide by Marianne Lee and most recently, Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin and Words to Shape My Name by Laura McKenna.

You can submit from anywhere in the world, provided that you are able to attend the Novel Fair, online or in person, in February 2022.