Hachette Australia, along with Hannah Richell and the Richell family, and in partnership with the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) and Simpsons Solicitors, is delighted to announce the longlist for the 2025 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers.

The twenty Richell Prize longlisted writers for 2025 are:

• Alisha Hall
• Arden Baker
• Carrick Tomlin
• Coco Stallman
• Em Readman
• Eynas Brodie
• Georgia White
• Hannah Goldstein
• Jake Dean
• Jehan Loza
• Kathryn Gledhill-Tucker
• Maria El-Chami
• Mersija Ilic
• Melanie Hawkes
• Michelle Fitzgerald
• Monique Marani
• Robert Douman
• Sivashneel Sanjappa
• Wayne Mok
• Yang Liu

The writers on this longlist will be judged on the first three chapters of their submitted work, along with a synopsis outlining the direction of the proposed work and details about how their writing career would benefit from winning the Prize. The winner will receive $10,000, donated by the Richell family, along with a 12-month mentorship with one of the publishers. Hachette will work with the winning writer to develop their manuscript, with the first option to consider the finished work for publication.

Vanessa Radnidge, Head of Non-Fiction & Literary at Hachette, says, ‘Every year, the fact that so many writers are being bold and brave and finding their way to the Richell Prize shows how important the prize is for emerging writers. This year 775 writers entered. This prize was created to honour the memory of former Hachette CEO Matt Richell, a man who was known for his support of new writers, and the support of the prize from entrants means that Matt’s nurturing of new talent lives on. Every year the quality of entries blows me away and this year is no different. Everyone at Hachette, along with the Richell family, is proud to present this prize and we are enormously grateful to the team at EWF and to the prize entry readers, who help to make it all happen. Thank you to all the writers who entered this year and congratulations to the twenty longlisted writers.’

Jess Zanoni, EWF Artistic Director & Co-CEO, says, ‘On behalf of EWF, a big congratulations to the 2025 longlist. To be longlisted for this highly competitive and prestigious prize, is a win in itself. Our deep thanks to all those who submitted to the prize, we are astounded year by year at the calibre of entries this prize yields.’

The Richell Prize shortlist will be announced on 16 October, with the winner announced on 5 November.