We’d like to warmly congratulate Asli Jensen on winning the Chicken House/ Lime Pictures award, which comes with an offer of agent representation. We are not at all surprised as her writing is exceptional! As the mentoring scheme is only for un-agented writers, the process in this situation (when a mentee leaves the scheme for any reason) is to offer any remaining mentoring sessions to a shortlisted writer who the judges think will benefit from it most. After discussing this we have decided to award the place to Ayesha Khan, whose submission from her novel-in-progress, ANAS AND THE DREAD, inspired by the author’s work with Muslim scout groups, struck all the judges as having tons of potential. Congratulations to both Ayesha and Asli!
Every applicant was also offered a year of free writing support through ALCS-sponsored creative writing workshops with published authors, plus opportunities to be read by agents and editors at online Q&As, and Book Clubs hosted by experienced editor Stephanie King.