The winners of the first-ever Unpublished Novel Award, established by Hollywood’s renowned script discovery platform The Black List, were officially announced recently. The award aims to spotlight outstanding yet-unpublished novel manuscripts and provide their creators with greater visibility. Each winning author will receive a $10,000 prize to support future creative work.
This year’s jury consisted of several notable figures from the publishing and literary worlds. From more than 750 unpublished manuscripts, they selected seven works across seven categories: Children’s & Young Adult Literature, Crime & Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.
In the Children’s & Young Adult category, Terah Tsuyako Summers won with More Than Quiet, a story about a teenage girl struggling with anxiety and depression who gradually breaks through her emotional barriers by discovering herself through writing.
The Crime & Mystery award went to Roz Ray for Us Honest Crooks, set in Prohibition-era Seattle, where a female bootlegger finds herself entangled in a dangerous conflict with a powerful crime family amid the devastation of the Spanish flu.
In the Horror category, the winning title was A Box Came for You by David Barringer, which follows a young man who accidentally unleashes a vengeful spirit after opening a moving box.
The Literary Fiction award was given to Cam Terwilliger for White Flame. Set in colonial New York in 1757, the novel follows a sickly physician drawn into a counterfeiting conspiracy, weaving a rich tapestry of historical power dynamics.
The Romance category winner was We Meet Again by Jessica Ellis, a story in which the protagonist, recovering from a failed marriage, unexpectedly reunites with her first love during a blind date.
In the Science Fiction & Fantasy category, Simon Nagel won for Gates to Nowhere, which begins with a funeral director taking on an unusual burial and slowly uncovering secrets that transcend the mortal world.
The Thriller & Suspense award went to Rua Morrow for Pressure, set in a post-apocalyptic world after a solar event destroys Earth’s atmosphere. Amid the chaos, a mother fights to keep her daughter alive.
Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, stated that the award was created to continue identifying exceptional works overlooked by the traditional publishing market and to give more readers the chance to discover promising emerging voices. Submissions for the next edition of the award will open in early 2026.
Views: 5
