A new £15,000 writing prize has been launched for voices that reflect the refugee and migrant experience. The Footnote x Counterpoints fiction prize aims to celebrate writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds; awarding the winner £15,000, plus a publishing deal to launch their careers in the industry.
The prize marks the second time that the two organisations have teamed up to create a prize. In 2023, writers from migrant and refugee backgrounds were invited to submit narrative non-fiction, but now, the prize will focus on fiction for the first time.
Open to writers now living in the UK or Ireland, the prize will highlight fiction “centred around themes of displacement, courage and belonging”, say the organisers: Footnote Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, and Counterpoints Arts, a national organisation focusing on arts, migration and cultural change.
The winner will receive £15,000, which is divided into two halves; a £7,500 cash prize and a further £7,500 advance as part of a publishing deal agreement with Footnote Press. An event will be held at The Southbank Centre in London in May 2026, where shortlisted writers will read and discuss their work.
The judging panel for this year’s fiction prize includes: Dina Nayeri, author of The Ungrateful Refugee; Waterstones’ Head of Books Bea Carvalho; Footnote Press commissioning editor, Serena Arthur; and Almir Koldzic, director and co-founder of Counterpoints Arts.
“In a time marked by deepening divisions and intolerance, the prize feels especially necessary and urgent,” said Almir Koldzic. “We hope it will help us amplify remarkable new literary voices and lived experiences of displacement, bringing us fresh perspectives and questions about our society today and in the future.”
Submissions are now open and will close 13th February 2026. Anyone from a refugee or migrant background, whether agented or unagented, is eligible to submit. Writers will need to submit an 8,000–10,000-word sample, alongside a synopsis of at least 1,500 words.
The shortlist will be announced in May, with the winner revealed during Refugee Week in June. Full details of eligibility and how to submit can be found on the Bonnier Books UK website.
“The prize is still centred around themes that are core to both Footnote’s ethos and list, but I’m especially excited to be turning to fiction this time around,” adds Serena Arthur.
