Andrew Blackman

My publisher, Legend Press, just announced that submissions are open for the 2010 Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary. This is the contest that gave me my break into publishing when I won it in 2008. The prize is £2,500 and a publishing contract. You enter the first three or four chapters of your novel and a personal statement – full details are here.

If you are an unpublished novelist with a manuscript ready to submit, I’d really recommend entering. Winning changed my life completely, and it’s been fantastic to see On the Holloway Road in bookshops all over London. I’m sure last year’s winner Ruth Dugdall would agree – her winning book, The Woman Before Me, comes out in August. There’s no entry fee, so all you’re risking is the postage, and the potential rewards are huge.

Luke Bitmead was a talented writer who died tragically young, and his family set up a Memorial Fund to help fledgling novelists to get published. I’d recommend checking out Luke’s website, now run by his family and giving details of the fund and its work.

Andrew Blackman Literary news luke bitmead, writing contest

Last year I won the Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary, an event that changed my life and led to the publication of On the Holloway Road. This year it is the turn of Ruth Dugdall with her novel The Woman Before Me.

The award ceremony last night was a wonderful experience for me personally. It was great to remember where I was a year ago, how things have changed since then, and to be grateful for it all. I also enjoyed seeing the event from another side, without all the pressure and nerves. I was able to relax and enjoy it more, to chat for longer, to meet some great people. Last year was just a blur!

Although I wasn’t going through the same extreme emotions as last year, it was still an emotional night. The award was established by Luke’s family after he died at just 34, shortly after having his first novel published. His mother Elaine and sister Tiffany were there last night, and Elaine gave a wonderful speech about the work they are doing through the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund both to support fledgling writers and to press for a more open discussion of mental health problems. It’s a wonderful and brave thing that they are doing, and I’d encourage you to check out the site to learn more about it and also about Luke’s life (the site was originally his personal website/blog). Donate if you can, or buy one of Luke’s books… and if you’re a writer, start to get your novel in shape for next year’s contest!!

Andrew Blackman Literary events award, luke bitmead, ruth dugdall

I was happy to see a call for entries for the Luke Bitmead Writers’ Bursary 2009. Luke wrote an excellent book, White Summer, in 2006, but died only a few months after it was published. His second book, Heading South, co-written with Catherine Richards, was published posthumously. His family then set up a foundation to help other young writers, and award a prize every year to an aspiring novelist.

This is the prize that I won last year, leading to the publication of On the Holloway Road. You enter the first three chapters of your novel, and it’s judged by a panel including novelists Deborah Wright and Zoe Jenny, as well as Luke’s family and the Legend Press team. The winner gets £2,500 and a publishing contract with Legend Press.

I’d strongly recommend this to any unpublished writers who are looking for a break. It’s free to enter and winning is a fantastic way to get published. It has quite literally changed my life.

I love contests in general, especially for new writers. The big advantage is that you’re on a level playing field. Usually the manuscripts have to be anonymous, so it doesn’t matter whether you have any track record, any contacts in the publishing world, etc. It’s all about the writing, and that’s what you want as an unpublished writer. Also, the contest organisers have actively asked for submissions and are looking for a winner, so you know your work will be read. It’s very different from submitting your manuscript to an editor or agent who’s swamped with submissions and is looking for any excuse to reject you. If you win, or are even shortlisted, it’s something to put on your writing CV for the rest of your life. Contests are how I got my first essay, my first short story and now my first novel published. Enter more contests!!

Even if you don’t plan to enter, the website for the foundation is worth a look. It was originally Luke’s personal website/blog, so you can see his posts and photos from 2006, and his family have now added information about the memorial fund. As well as helping new writers, the fund aims to spread awareness of mental health issues and encourage greater research and understanding, so it’s a good cause. And do check out both of Luke’s books – they are both well-written, very good reads.

Andrew Blackman Literary news luke bitmead, unpublished writers, writing contest

There was a nice piece about my novel On the Holloway Road in The Bookseller recently. It’s the main business magazine for the book industry in the UK, so hope it will get some people’s attention. There’s a scan of the article below, and you can also read it on my publisher’s website. Gives some good information about the book and the prize I won to get it published. (Scroll down to the bottom – it’s not “How to talk to girls”!)

Andrew Blackman On the Holloway Road book launch, bookseller, fiction, kerouac, luke bitmead, On the Holloway Road

It’s past four in the morning and I can’t sleep. Haven’t slept all night. I tried reading for a while, but that didn’t work – I couldn’t focus for more than a few seconds at a time. All that I have been able to do is lie in bed for five hours with my eyes wide open, staring into the darkness while Genie sleeps beside me, only waking up every hour or so to mumble “You OK, sweetheart?”

Am I OK?? I’m fantastic! I just won the Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary. The prize: £2,500 and a publishing contract with Legend Press!!! After years of writing with no prospect of success, I have a publishing contract for my first novel. I can call myself a writer without having to qualify or justify it.

I think that’s why I can’t sleep. It’s mostly pure, uncut, grade A adrenalin of course, but I think my brain is also buzzing so much because it’s trying to process the enormous change that has occurred in a single evening. In the past, when I heard people say “It hasn’t really sunk in yet” I never really understood. Sink in? Smelled like bullshit to me, just the sort of thing people say because they’ve heard other people say it in similar situations and they think it’ll make them seem gracious or something, when all they really want to do is dance around the room shouting “I’m the winner, I’m the winner!”

But now I think I understand what the sinking in thing is all about. For years I have been a struggling unpublished author. I have created stories to explain my situation to myself and others. I have grown somewhat comfortable in this role and reveled a little in the self-sacrificial nature of it. I have derived a certain satisfaction from sniping at published authors, jealously wondering how they got published when I couldn’t. Now suddenly, with the presentation of an envelope, a book and one of those large plastic cheques, I have been catapulted over to the other side of the fence. Suddenly I am one of those smug people with book deals who like to talk about their next Waterstones signing.

I have not yet made the adjustment, though. In my head I still feel part of the unpublished crowd. Someone at the event was offering around flyers for a fledgling-writers website and said to me “Oh, you won’t want this, though, you’re a published author now.” I didn’t really know what he meant for a while. So I suppose all these hours of staring into the darkness have been about adjusting slowly to the fact that I have a book deal. I still don’t think I’m there yet, but perhaps at least my brain is starting to catch up with events. I feel somewhere in midair now. In no way am I anything other than delighted, over the moon, ecstatic, psyched, etc. etc., but I suppose that being in midair and not knowing exactly where you’re going to land is also a little anxiety-inducing. I am entering the unknown. I’m having to create new stories to explain myself to myself.

Well, a little incoherent but I wanted to record how I feel. Now I have to go back to bed and stare at the ceiling for another few hours. Will try to write something more considered when I’ve had some sleep, so probably some time next week.

Andrew Blackman On the Holloway Road award, cognitive dissonance, legend press, luke bitmead, publishing deal