Many people toy with the idea of writing a book, a bestseller to be exact, so they would give up their day job, retire early, live some place warm and become full time writers. Why not? After all, so many literary greats, from George Eliot to William S. Burroughs, started their literary careers pretty late in life, and so many of today‘s commercial successes, from J. K. Rowling to Suzanne Collins, have appeared seemingly out of nowhere!
For those who are ready to make the journey, there‘s the Montegrappa Writing Prize. Running since 2013, part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature – which this year managed to attract literary household names like Anthony Horowitz, Chris Hadfield, Lauren Child, Michael Dobbs, Darren Shan, Korky Pau, Nadia Sawalha and Suhel Seth – the competition has paved the way for 3 published authors in just a few years!
The 2016 Montegrappa Writing Prize has been the most successful edition to date, the number of entries exceeded all expectations; but, most importantly, the range of aspiring writers, the breadth and depth of themes and topics in the works submitted.
Let‘s take a look at this year‘s amazing top 3 winners. Travel blogger and founder of www.travel-ink.com Karen Osman won the first prize thanks to a very gripping first chapter from her novel, Dear Michael, inspired by her student digs at the University of Durham overlooking one of the most dangerous prisons in the UK.
For magazine editor Charlotte Butterfield, who was the runner-up, getting the prize was a wonderful confirmation of her talent and skills. Her winning novel, Very Nearly Perfect, is already available on Amazon through Charlotte‘s self-publishing efforts.
Ahmed Bukhatir, the first Emirati to win the competition, made a lasting impression on judges with his fantasy manuscript, Dragon Boy which won third place. Already popular in the Khaleeji community as a talented singer with an angelic voice, spreading messages of peace and love, Ahmed is on his way to becoming a global story teller.
UK literary critic Luigi Bonomi, who serves, officially, as the head judge of the competition, and, unofficially, as its godfather, was thrilled with the interest the competition generated and the quality of the manuscripts submitted at this edition. “There‘s a lot of promising talent discovered here, and every year the competition grows stronger, deeper roots in the community. Winners like Ahmed Bukhatir will inspire other Emirati budding writers to turn to The Montegrappa Writing Prize as the platform to share their stories from. I can‘t wait to come back next year,“ said Bonomi.
“Keeping the writing culture alive in this day and age is one of the key missions we have committed to at Montegrappa. Our partnership with the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in creating the Montegrappa Writing Prize has proved successful, rewarding and relevant. We‘re very excited about what the future holds,“ said Giuseppe Aquila, CEO of Montegrappa.
Previous winners of the competition include published and soon-to-be published authors Annabel Kantaria, Rachel Hamilton, Lucinda Martin and Michele Williams. The Montegrappa Writing Prize is open exclusively to UAE residents over the age of 21, who have never had a novel published. Entry criteria includes a 400-word synopsis and the first 2,000 words of their fiction manuscript, submitted via the festival website http://emirateslitfest.com/competitions/montegrappa-writing-prize