The Rooker Prize...2024!

Lewes FC is pleased to announce the third year of its annual writing competition – The Rooker Prize. Everyone has a novel in them, right? But does everyone have the time to write one? And what if, 100,000 words later, it isn’t any good? Where do you even start? This is where The Rooker Prize comes in...
By Karen DobresContributor
Published 19th Feb 2024, 11:13 GMT
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Rooker Prize is a competition designed to open up the possibility of writing a novel to everyone. Because all entrants need do is write the opening 250 words of a novel. That’s it. Just that.

Perhaps surprisingly, the competition is the brainchild of a football club. But not just any football club. Lewes FC became 100% fan-owned in 2010 and since then has forged a reputation for using football as an engine for social good. Having democratised football, the club, known as The Rooks, have decided to spread their wings and help to make novel-writing more accessible too.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This year The Rooker Prize is once again sponsored by award-winning podcast hosts, successful musicians, writers & actors Gary Kemp & Guy Pratt of The Rockonteurs, as well as publishers Hachette UK who, like Lewes FC in football, are keen to break new ground and challenge established thinking in publishing.

Most Popular
    The hand-carved pen nib trophyThe hand-carved pen nib trophy
    The hand-carved pen nib trophy

    ‘The Rockonteurs’ is the UK’s most popular music podcast and as Guy Pratt explained, ‘is all about great stories, like so many great songs’. He added, ‘I’m also proud to support my brilliant local club in any way’.

    The winner of The Rooker Prize receives a beautiful hand-carved wooden trophy plus £250 to go to the charity of their choice. Hachette UK - one of the UK’s leading publishing groups -is also offering an incredible and exclusive additional prize. The winner will receive an hour’s feedback/coaching session at Hachette UK’s offices in London where their entry will be discussed with an experienced Editor, to hopefully help kickstart a new career.

    The only condition for entry is that you are an Owner of Lewes Football Club. But that’s easy, as anyone in the world can sign up for their single share via the LewesFC.com website here: https://lewesfc.com/become-an-owner/

    The Rooker prize is now open for entries:

    Hide Ad
    Hide Ad

    · Type your 250 word opening to a novel and the book title on one side of A4, stating the genre

    · Attach it to an email to [email protected]with the subject line: ROOKER PRIZE ENTRY, and put your name and contact details in the email

    · Closing date is Friday 19th April 2024

    · The winner will be announced on International Crow and Raven Appreciation Day – Saturday 27th April 2024

    · Judges are children’s author Georgia Byng, author Mark Crick, former Lewes FC director Karen Dobres, and football journalist and writer Suzy Wrack

    Related topics:Lewes FC