Shortlisted for the 2024 Nota Bene Prize, Disturbance is a razor-sharp debut that explores all the ways that relationships and trauma can haunt our lives.

Meet the judges! A writer, born and raised in Kent, her debut novel Spoilt Creatures won the BPA Pitch Prize and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition.

Shortlisted for the 2024 Nota Bene Prize, Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe is an unnerving, compelling and utterly contemporary debut novel about one woman's metamorphosis into an online phenomenon.

Meet the judges! As well as penning two novels, Onyi founded Black Pens, the UK’s first writing retreat for Black womxn, and co-founded Surviving Out Loud.

A tender and lyrical debut that effortlessly nails both the exhilarating rush and trepidation of first love, Daverley's debut charts the burgeoning romance between Will and Rosie.

Drenched in suspense and populated with richly drawn characters, Walsh’s atmospheric thriller follows three old friends reunited in their hometown on the Irish West Coast as chilling secrets from their past start to unravel.

Meet the judges! Zeynep runs a printing company and a bookstagram account, and in 2024, she was named the Women’s Prize Discoveries Scholar.

Shortlisted for the 2024 Nota Bene Prize, Rosewater is a daring, unputdownable debut, filled with unforgettable characters and subtle social commentary, about a free-spirited young South Londoner is a stunning meditation on the ways in which friendship can deepen into romantic love.

Meet the judges! A writer at Stylist Magazine, Shahed specialises in features and news in politics and entertainment.

Announcing the six 2024 shortlisted titles...

In need of some inspiration? Here’s everything you need to listen, watch, shop and browse right now.

We chatted with Irene Solà on her incredibly inventive and immersive novel, When I Sing, Mountains Dance, which won the 2023 Nota Bene Prize.

Meet the judges! Podcaster, influencer and now a debut author, Oenone Forbat is the Host and Chair of Judges for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize. We sat down to chat with her about all things books!

Winner of the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà, translated by Mara Faye Lethem.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, I’m A Fan by Sheena Patel is a remarkable debut that encompasses social media, patriarchal systems and status anxiety into an emotionally visceral whole.

Meet the judges! Influencer and business owner turned indie bookshop owner, Sapphire is at the heart of connecting books with readers and celebrates books online and IRL from her shop in Ramsgate, Book Bodega.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, I’m Sorry You Feel That Way is a compelling domestic comedy about complex family dynamics, mental health and the intricacies of sibling relationships.

We chatted with the wonderful Julia Armfield on her debut novel, Our Wives Under The Sea, which is shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, Black Butterflies is a breathtaking story of disintegration, resilience and hope. Priscilla’s debut novel is inspired by real accounts and family history of the siege of Sarajevo.

We chatted with the wonderful Rebecca Wait on her new book, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, which is shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize.

Meet the judges! Quế Mai is the kind-hearted and brilliant author of Dust Child and The Mountains Sing, winner of our 2021 Prize. She is doing amazing work to centre Vietnamese stories and lives through her moving storytelling.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, Trespasses is a blistering account of encroaching violence and fractured loyalties in 1970's Belfast. Tender and devastating, this is an incredible debut novel from Louise Kennedy.

Meet the judges! We chatted with the talented Shani Akilah on all things books. Writer, Screenwriter and Content Creator, Shani has just received a book deal for her debut short story collection, For Such A Time As This.

The sumptuous, sisterhood-embracing books that will help you on your journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance to becoming a self-reliant, modern woman.

Meet the judges! We chatted with the incredible Naoise Dolan on all things books. A young Irish novelist, Naoise is the author of two novels Exciting Times and The Happy Couple.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, Young Mungo is both a vivid portrayal of working-class life and the deeply moving story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Mungo and James.

We chatted with Louise Kennedy all about her debut novel, Trespasses, which is shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize. We discussed contested identity and voice as someone navigating Irish political and religious lines, growing up during the Troubles.

Meet the judges! We chatted with the lovely Bobby Palmer on all things books…

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, Our Wives Under The Sea is the haunting debut novel from Julia Armfield. It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep, deep sea.

Whether it’s to get you through the hardest of times, or to help you understand the people going through those times, these are the books tackling mental health in profound ways.