Jericho Prize Launches 2025 Writing Competition in Partnership with Hachette Children’s Group
The Jericho Prize for Children’s Writing has launched the 2025 writing competition, in partnership with Hachette Children’s Group. The prize is dedicated to showcasing the next generation of Black-British children’s writers.
The competition, which is open to unpublished and self-published Black-British writers, features two categories this year:
Baby and toddler books (ages 1–3)
Picture books (ages 3–7)
All entries should be narrative-based and feature a Black main character.
The winning writer in each category will receive a £1250 cash prize provided by Hachette Children’s Group, plus a 12-month membership to the Society of Authors and the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2025 supplied by bookseller Peters.
Four runners-up in each category will receive the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2025 and a children’s book bundle from Hachette, along with invaluable industry recognition and support.
Submissions open on 31 March 2025 and close on 30 April 2025.
Fabia Turner, founder of the Jericho Prize, said, ‘We are delighted to partner with Hachette Children’s Group for our 2025 competition. There is a wealth of untapped talent in the Black-British writing community and our goal is to give new voices the opportunities they deserve.
‘We’re particularly excited to be able to offer a baby book award for the first time as this is an often neglected category. We look forward to discovering fresh, engaging stories that will inspire the next generation of readers.’
Celebrating new Black-British writing for children
The Jericho Prize, founded in 2021, is committed to breaking down barriers in children’s publishing and ensuring that Black-British voices are represented in books for young readers. Through its biennial competition and writer development programme, the prize has provided a crucial platform for emerging authors.
In the past three years, the Jericho Prize has provided 16 free courses, workshops and author/illustrator talks; five writer mentorships; and more than 300 writers have received free manuscript feedback.
Writers showcased and supported by the Jericho Prize have also gone on to secure literary agents and publishing deals.
This is the second year running the Jericho Prize has partnered with Hachette Children’s Group, having worked together to provide an extensive series of writer resources in 2024.
The Jericho Prize is once again supported in 2025 by the charity Inclusive Books for Children. Other partners this year include the Society of Authors, the inclusive picture book publisher Alanna Max and the school and library bookseller Peters.
