Pushkin Manuscript Awards
Pushkin Children’s Books has announced its second open submission initiative, following on from the success of the first round last year, which led to the acquisition of YA title The Collective by Lindsey Whitlock.
The publisher is once again opening its doors to submissions for children’s books for a 24-hour period. Pushkin hopes this initiative, led by Sarah Odedina, editor-at-large, will “provide unpublished writers with a golden opportunity to have their work seen by a leading figure in the literary world”. The submissions must be for middle-grade readers aged from eight to 12.
The first open submission, in June 2016, was a roaring success, which led to the signing of The Collective, with Pushkin acquiring world rights from the author. The book will be published by Pushkin Children’s Books in 2019. Odedina said: The Collective is a beautiful and lyrical novel about an imagined America after a civil war in which the country is divided along urban and rural boundaries. It deals with important themes of responsibility and belonging and becoming an adult.
Whitlock said: Getting my manuscript to an editor by way of an open submission has been more than just helpful to me; it’s also been so gratifying. The world of queries can be a dismal and impersonal one. It was a pleasure knowing my work was being read by someone like Sarah, and it’s a pleasure, now, to partner with someone invested in bringing out the best in my work and words.
The next Open Submission Initiative will take place on 8th January from 00.00pm to 23.59pm. The submission must include a synopsis and the first 10,000 words, plus a short author bio. Entries should be sent to books@pushkinpress.com with the subject line ‘SARAH ODEDINA OPEN SUBMISSION MATERIAL.’
