Young Writer Award

The Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award

Finding the best when they're beginning since 1991 #YoungWriterAward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

The winner of the 2025 #YoungWriterAward is Harry Shukman for #YearOfTheRat 🐀

An eye-opening account of his time infiltrating British far-right groups, revealing how they operate and how they normalise extreme ideologies.

Published by @ChattoBooks / @vintagebooks

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

It was an absolute joy to present the 2025 #YoungWriterAward last night to Harry Shukman for #YearOfTheRat, published by @ChattoBooks / @vintagebooks! 💐

Thank you to everyone involved for a truly tremendous evening, until next time! ✨🧡

#YoungWriterAward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

In our final Readers on Writers interview, shadow judge Lou Baillache (@louus_library) speaks to Gurnaik Johal (@GurnaikJohal) about his debut novel #Saraswati published by @ProfileBooks📖

Full interview online:
https://t.co/Dq7m2P5gT4

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Next up in our Readers on Writers series, shadow judge Amina Makele (@AminasBookshelf) speaks to Liadan Ní Chuinn about their expansive collection of short stories #EveryOneStillHere published by @grantabooks📚

Full interview online:
https://t.co/S0x6HiVZUK

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Hear from Liadan Ní Chuinn about their shortlisted debut #EveryOneStillHere published by @GrantaBooks 📚

Liadan expands on how they formed their collection of short stories and the importance of care when writing.

#youngwriteraward #youngwriters #ukbookstagram

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Next up in our Readers on Writers series is Anastasia Charchalioti in-conversation with Harry Shukman about his shortlisted book #YearOfTheRat (@ChattoBooks / @vintagebooks) ✨

Full interview online:
https://t.co/dhm9lqEr3a

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Our #YoungWriterAward Shadow Panel Judges have chosen Liadan Ní Chuinn, author of #EveryOneStillHere published by @GrantaBooks, as their winner for their collection of stories tracing the aftershocks of post-conflict north of Ireland.

Judge's winner announced 24 March 2026✨

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Hear more about Harry Shukman’s shortlisted non-fiction debut #YearOfTheRat, published by @ChattoBooks / @vintagebooks 📚

Harry shares how he went undercover with far-right groups in the UK, and discovered how they are normalising extreme ideologies.

#youngwriteraward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Introducing Readers on Writers – where our shadow judging panel interview our shortlisted authors📖✨

First up, Nic Marna (@bookbinch) speaks to Ben Brooks about his novel #TheGreatestPossibleGood (@scribneruk / @simonschusteruk).

Full interview online:
https://t.co/rKwucM7HEE

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Hear from @GurnaikJohal about his shortlisted debut novel #Saraswati published by @serpentstail 📚

Brimming with love, lush, violence and loss, Gurnaik’s magisterial debut deftly animates the passions that bind us to our histories, our lands and each other.

#youngwriteraward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Get to know each of our shortlisted authors as they share more about their novels!

First up, Ben Brooks on #TheGreatestPossibleGood (@ScribnerUK / @simonschusterUK), on how altruism inspired his novel and when to put the pen down and start again.

#benbrooks #youngwriteraward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

The fourth and final book on our #YoungWriterAwardshortlist is Year of the Rat by Harry Shukman, published by @ChattoBooks / @vintagebooks! 📚

#YearOfTheRat is an account of Harry’s year spent undercover infiltrating far-right groups.

Find out more: https://t.co/k0poeq8PC9

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Next up on our #YoungWriterAward shortlist is Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn, published by @GrantaBooks✨

📚 #EveryOneStillHere is an expansive collection of stories tracing the aftershocks of post-conflict north of Ireland.

Find out more: https://t.co/mYqWyQISYi

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Congratulations to our 2023 shortlisted author @michaelmagee__ whose novel #CloseToHome will be adapted by Channel 4 as a new drama featuring Anthony Boyle, Jessica Reynolds, Seamus O’Hara and Oisín Thompson as lead cast 📽️

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Next up on our #YoungWriterAward shortlist is Saraswati by @GurnaikJohal, published by @serpentstail! 📚

#Saraswati is an cross-generational epic traversing India, deftly animating the passions that bind us to our histories and each other.

Find out more: https://t.co/AfI2at8RZE

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

This week we will be spotlighting the #YoungWriterAward shortlist! 📚

First up is Ben Brooks, shortlisted for #TheGreatestPossibleGood (@ScribnerUK/@simonschusterUK), an incisive, hilarious family saga and unflinchingly human debut novel.

Find out more: https://t.co/UQFGCQRMpV

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award! ✨

Read more here: https://t.co/XCdBsomiNh

Read in @thetimes : https://t.co/3KVnE6Zwb3

#YoungWriterAward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Our fourth and final shadow panellist is Nic Marna @bookishbinch! 📖

Nic is a queer writer and fast walker from Montreal, based in London. He can be found anywhere online championing queer literature and is currently finishing his debut novel.

#YoungWriterAward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

Our third shadow panellist is Lou @louus_library 📚

Louise Baillache is a bookish content creator who has fostered a community of readers over the past 5 years. She is an advocate for the art of storytelling as a powerful tool to connect with others.

#YoungWriterAward

[Young Writer Award @YoungWriterYear]

This year’s second shadow panel judge is Anastasia Charchalioti @thebookorchestra 📖

Anastasia is a Greek aspiring author. When she's not working on her first novel, she reads as much as physically possible.

#YoungWriterAward