THE search for the Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize winner for 2025 has begun, with submissions now open for historical novels set in the UK and Ireland with a strong sense of place. 

The prestigious literary prize is the result of a legacy left to the Royal Cornwall Museum by author Winston Graham, who died in 2003 and was best-known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall.

Once limited to novels set in Cornwall, the prize was relaunched last year with updated entry criteria, a stellar panel of judges, and a £3,000 prize for the winning author.

The 2024 standard of entries was described as “outstanding” by head judge Charlotte Hobson, with the shortlisted authors representing “six of the most original and extraordinary storytellers writing today”.

The prize was awarded by Captain Corelli’s Mandolin author Louis de Bernières, at a ceremony hosted by the Royal Cornwall Museum, to winner Benjamin Myers for his novel Cuddy, a bold and experimental fictionalised take on the life of the hermit St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.

The judges described Cuddy as “an unusual, touching book, an extraordinary reading experience”. Mr Myers said: “A win like this can put you on a high for months – it’s all the encouragement a writer needs.”

Now, the hunt has started for his successor. “After the extremely high standard of entries last year, and the many wonderful reads the shortlisting process gave the official readers and judging panel, we are positively rubbing our hands together with excitement as we launch the 2025 prize,” said Ms Hobson.

Jonathan Morton, executive director of the Royal Cornwall Museum, added: “We’re thrilled to be embarking on the hunt for more great storytelling, and memorable characters who give us fresh perspectives on the past. As our project to transform the museum itself gathers pace, the theme of looking at history afresh has never been more relevant.”

The invitation for appropriate submissions has gone out to publishers across the UK and Ireland with a closing date of November 30; the submissions form can also be found at: forms.gle/APrxomWmixxJcJfm6

To be considered, novels must have been published in the UK between September 2023 and October 2024, set at least 60 years ago in the UK and Ireland, and written by authors resident in the UK.

The shortlist will be announced in March 2025, and the award ceremony will take place at the museum in the spring; for updates on progress, see the museum’s social media accounts.

Applications from potential readers for the Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize are gratefully received; anyone interested is invited to email [email protected]