A new literary prize that champions emerging writers has been set up in memory of author Hilary Mantel, best known for her book Wolf Hall that was adapted into a BBC series of the same name. Dame Hilary Mantel won the prestigious Booker Prize twice, and after her death, her private correspondence showcased her passion for mentoring aspiring writer throughout her own career. In that spirit, The Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction has been set up by Mantel’s literary agency, A.M. Heath, three years after the much-loved author’s death.
The prize for longform adult fiction novel is open exclusively for unpublished author who are not currently represented by an agent, and is free to enter. Entries are open from 22nd September until 31st December 2025, with the prize being award in early Spring 2026.
The panel of five judges for the inaugural 2026 award will be chaired by the bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell, alongside Nicholas Pearson, Hilary’s editor of eighteen years, the actor Ben Miles, who played Thomas Cromwell in the RSC adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s novels Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light, the script of which he also co-wrote with Hilary, author Chetna Maroo whose debut novel Western Lane was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and author Chigozie Obioma who has twice been a Booker Prize finalist and was a Booker judge in 2021.
O’Farrell, who herself benefited from generous support from other authors when she was writing her debut novel, After You’d Gone, explained: “Encouragement from a writer of Hilary Mantel’s stature is nothing short of transformative. It’s like winning a thousand lotteries for debut writers.”
The winner of the inagural Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction will receive a cash prize of £7,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray and a place on an Arvon residential writing course. The runner-up will receive the same, except for the cash prize which is £2,500.
More information, including eligibility can be found online.
