We are delighted to announce the launch of The Watson Little Prize!

In celebration of the agency’s 50th anniversary, Watson, Little Ltd is delighted to announce the launch of the Watson, Little Prize. The prize is international, genre-specific, and in this inaugural edition of the prize – in celebration of the agency’s 50th year – it is dedicated to writers over 50 years of age. It aims to encourage those from older generations, from all backgrounds and from all nations and cultures, to apply.

The prize is open to writers in the English language from all around the world. One of the outcomes of the pandemic has been an increased use of different technologies, including internet calls and video conferencing for meetings. It means that literary agents are more able to effectively represent writers who are based in countries across the world, and the Watson, Little Prize is designed with that in mind.
The prize is also genre-specific. The 2021 prize will focus on upmarket fiction, with future editions of the prize likely to focus on different genres.

In recognition of the agency’s 50th anniversary, the inaugural 2021 prize is open specifically to those over 50 years of age. We welcome writers in this demographic from all backgrounds, and recognise that age is no barrier when it comes to writing brilliant fiction.

The 2021 prize is open to unagented writers who were 50 years of age or older on the 9 February 2021. Entrants are invited to send a 500 word plot outline and 5,000 words taken from the beginning of an unpublished novel in the English language belonging to the upmarket fiction genre. Applications for the 2021 prize will open on 5 July 2021 and close on 30 July 2021. There is no application fee. Further information, including terms and conditions and how to enter, can be found here.