Three Bath Spa University writers have been shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2014, out of 60 submissions to the competition.
Alumni Anthea Nicholson’s novel The Banner of the Passing Clouds and Lucy Cruickshanks’ novel The Trader of Saigon, along with current Creative Writing PhD student Jack Wolf’s novel The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones are all included in the six strong shortlist.
The three authors were selected from 12 long-listed authors drawn from a record number of more than 60 submissions.
Both Anthea and Lucy previously graduated from Bath Spa’s MA Creative Writing, demonstrating the high calibre of work being produced and the large number of successful students graduating from the course. I.J. Kay, another graduate of the course won the Award last year.
The Bath Spa trio are joined in the shortlist by Gavin Extence (The Universe Versus Alex Woods), Kevin Maher (The Fields) and Eimear McBride (A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing).
Commenting on the continued and growing success of the University’s Creative Writing courses, Dean of the School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, Professor Steve May said: “This strong representation in such a prestigious competition shows that we are not just producing quality, but quality in depth.
“Since January 2013, graduates of our Creative Writing courses have published no less than 44 new titles – an astonishing and probably unprecedented achievement.”
There will be a reading from the shortlisted novels by their authors at Waterstone’s bookshop, 82 Gower Street, London WC1E 6EQ, on Thursday 29th May.
The winner will be announced and presented with the £2,500 prize on Tuesday 3rd June at the National Liberal Club in London by this year’s guest adjudicator and novelist, Isabel Wolff.