The Eyelands Book Awards are to be announced on 30th December. I first entered this international writing competition in 2019, when my novel entitled ‘The Man Who Got Out of Japan’ won their prize for the best unpublished historical novel.
I was invited to apply for their Writer’s Residency and arrived on the island of Crete to begin work on the sequel under the title, ‘The Girl Who Escaped from Zanzibar’. This novel, set in Zanzibar in the heady days before the revolution of 1964, reached the finals of their 2020 competition in the category Unpublished Historical Fiction.
After being placed or long-listed in a number of other writing competitions, including the Page Turner Awards, this intricate story was completely rewritten. Transposed from the first person to the third person and re-titled ‘A Girl Called Redemption’ it has become multi-layered and intriguing. This second incarnation was submitted to Eyelands Book Awards in October 2021.
Eyelands Book Awards have now published a list of the authors short-listed for their grand prize. The final results will be announced on 30th December followed by an awards ceremony in Athens in April 2022.
‘A Girl Called Redemption’ is up against stiff competition, including a WWII novel written by an American professor of writing:
Hiroshima Bomb Money / Terry Watada /Canada
Yesteryear / Stephen G. Eoannou /USA
The Swimmer /David Tenenbaum/USA
China China / Tong Ge /Canada
A Girl Called Redemption / Sophie Neville /UK
Here is the full line-up of the finalists. Many congratulations for getting this far and best wishes to all!
Sophie Neville 
Congratulations Sophie! This is wonderful news! All my thoughts and prayers (not to mention my crossed fingers) are with you for the 30th December.
Thank you! I fear the competition is stiff.
I am sure you are up there with the best of them!