The Golden Egg Award

The Golden Egg Award is open to writers from backgrounds under-represented in children’s publishing. We are keen to hear from unagented, unpublished children’s fiction writers in the UK, who may identify as Black, Asian or from a minority ethnic group, LGBTQ+, disabled or other groups not traditionally represented in the industry.

Winners will be awarded one of two free places on our popular Write Your Successful Children’s Novel course from September 2022. A six-month subscription to the Golden Egg Club will be awarded to three runners-up.

Applications are now closed for 2022.

Diversity includes, according to Inclusive Minds, race and heritage, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion, and culture. The applicant could identify themselves as being from one or more under-represented diverse groups.

At Golden Egg we pride ourselves on our ethical approach to business and to publishing. Our aim always is to encourage diversity in books and publishing in general. Therefore, this award is aimed at encouraging diverse writers and diverse stories as well as providing opportunities for writers who would not normally be able to benefit from the expertise at the Golden Egg Academy.

At Golden Egg we are defining diversity according to the Inclusive Minds definition, which includes race and heritage, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion and culture. The award is for writers of talent. The ultimate aim is to enable children to see themselves in the literature they are reading and meet published writers that they might wish to emulate.

September 2021

Habon Jama – winner

Leonni Lark – winner

Bibi Mohamoodally – runner-up

Madeleine Vaughan – runner-up

Sabrina J Elliott – runner-up

February 2021

Damilare Oladele

Dashani Shan

2020

Diversity fund created for Golden Egg writers in need.

2019 Winners

Martin Ng Wong – Diversity Award 2019

Butterfly Hartley – Cultural Award 2019

Stella Botchway

2019 Judging Panel

Imogen Cooper, GEA Founder/Director

Robin Bennett, CEO, Quarto Translations

Dr Vanessa Harbour, Business and Academic Relations

Adamma Okonkwo, Golden Egg Editor and Submissions Co-ordinator

Aimée Felone, Co-Founder, Knights Of

Simon James Green, author of NOAH CAN’T EVEN

Charlotte Eyre, Children’s Editor, The Bookseller

Philip Ardagh, author of THE GRUNTS

2018 Winner

Heather Marks, Fetters of Gold, 2018

2018 Judging Panel

Imogen Cooper, GEA Founder/Director

Robin Bennett, CEO, Quarto Translations

Dr Vanessa Harbour, Business and Academic Relations

Adamma Okonkwo, Golden Egg Editor and Submissions Co-ordinator

Sarah Odedina, Editor-at-Large, Pushkin Children’s Books

2017 Winner

Claire Lake, The Silversmith’s Boy

2017 Judging Panel

Imogen Cooper, GEA Founder/Director

Robin Bennett, CEO, Quarto Translations

Dr Vanessa Harbour, Business and Academic Relations

Adamma Okonkwo, Golden Egg Editor and Submissions Co-ordinator