Launched in September 2015, the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation is a charitable organisation dedicated to empowering young writers, the advancement of the adventure writing genre and the promotion of literacy. They run the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize which is an international prize that supports and celebrates the best adventure writing today. The Prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English.
Give a Book have been supported by the Foundation and it was lovely to go along to the virtual award ceremony on September 15th. The event felt really inclusive and what made it feel special was the chance to hear from all the shortlisted writers wherever they were in the world. There are three categories –
Best Published Novel – Rachel Joyce for Miss Benson’s Beetle (Doubleday).
Best Unpublished Manuscript and the five shortlisted authors were able to share some of their writing and received £1,000 prize.
Author of Tomorrow run in partnership with Worldreader – prizes were awarded in three age categories and the younger categories received £100 and £150 in gift vouchers for their school and in the older categories they won £1,000.
All shortlisted authors of the Author of Tomorrow prize have their work published in a digital anthology, available to read via the Worldreader app.
The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize really showcases writing and is a brilliant way to engage pupils in school with the adventure genre.
