The Journal
The Note Bene Journal is where we’ll share all prize updates, author interviews, book reviews, and editorial pieces; it’s the very latest from Nota Bene, here for you to explore.
Review: The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
Shortlisted for the 2024 Nota Bene Prize, The Centre follows a budding young translator to a mysterious language centre where fluency comes at a chilling cost.
Review: Disturbance by Jenna Clake
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: Amy Twigg
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.
Review: Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe
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: Onyi Nwabineli
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.
Review: Talking At Night by Claire Daverley
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.
Review: Kala by Colin Walsh
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 Kazmaz
Meet the judges! Zeynep runs a printing company and a bookstagram account, and in 2024, she was named the Women’s Prize Discoveries Scholar.
Review: Rosewater by Liv Little
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: Shahed Ezaydi
Meet the judges! A writer at Stylist Magazine, Shahed specialises in features and news in politics and entertainment.
2024 Nota Bene Prize Shortlist
Announcing the six 2024 shortlisted titles...
What’s Hot Right Now: 8 pop culture picks
In need of some inspiration? Here’s everything you need to listen, watch, shop and browse right now.
A Chat With: Irene Solà
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: Oenone Forbat
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!
Review: When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà, Winner of the Nota Bene Prize 2023
Winner of the 2023 Nota Bene Prize, When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà, translated by Mara Faye Lethem.
Review: I’m A Fan by Sheena Patel
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: Sapphire Bates
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.
Review: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait
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.
A Chat With: Julia Armfield
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.
Review: Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
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.