The Primadonna Prize – Terms and Conditions

This is a competition being run by Primadonna Festival and Prize CIO (‘Primadonna’) in collaboration with Renard Press Ltd.
The first prize for this competition is the offer of publication with Primadonna Publishing, an imprint of Renard Press Ltd.
The prize will be awarded for the most original and exciting work.
Entrants to the competition can be of any gender, of any age and can be resident anywhere in the world. Entrants must not have had a book commercially published in any format previously or be under contract for publication, and must not be represented by an agent at the time of entry. These requirements are referred to as the ‘Entrants Criteria’. While there is no minimum (or maximum) age requirement for entry, entrants under eighteen will require written parental or guardian consent to enter.
The first round: entrants are required to submit in the first instance 500 words of new fiction writing on the subject of ‘joy’.
The second round:those shortlisted will be asked to prepare a Novel Pitch (to consist of a novel overview and three sample chapters). This will be a work of fiction on any subject, which can have been previously written but must be unpublished. Submissions must be in English.
The Prize is free to enter.
Initial entries will be judged on the originality of the writing. Judges will not be looking for a perfectly polished piece but for something that shows imagination and writing skill. Shortlisted entrants who make a second submission will be judged on the originality and quality of the writing, and the potential for a full-length book.
A longlist of up to thirty submissions (the ‘Longlisted Submissions’) will be chosen in March 2027 from entries received in accordance with these Terms and Conditions by members of Primadonna and Renard Press. The Longlisted Submissions will be further reduced to a shortlist of five to ten submissions in April 2027 (the ‘Shortlisted Submissions’).
Shortlisted submissions will be judged by a second set of judges who will include published writers, agents and book industry experts. These judges will then select one winner.
The winning entry will be the one that has the best quality of writing and the most potential to be a full-length book, and will be from an entrant who meet the Entrants’ Criteria. The Judges’ decision is final.
The winner will be offered a book contract with Primadonna Publishing – such contract to be agreed between the Winner and the imprint if the Winner chooses to take this offer of publication.
Primadonna reserves the right to not select any winner from the Shortlisted Submissions if a suitable entry that meets all the criteria set out above cannot be found.
By submitting their work entrants undertake and warrant that their Submissions will consist of their own original work and will not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third parties.
1. If a third party’s material is used – such as lyrics of a song – the entrant will secure the necessary permission and will provide it on request. The entrant further warrants that the work will not contain any material which is defamatory, private or confidential or which is unlawful in any way.
2. Submissions must not have been made by or with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems (‘AI’, meaning here large language generative models – for the avoidance of doubt: spell-check and basic searches are fine; any words generated by or with help from a system like ChatGPT are not), and Entrants must keep a record of their workings and notes, which the Prize may ask for evidence of.

Any entry in breach of this clause will be disqualified from being considered for the shortlist or by the Judges.

Entries must be submitted by following the submission form link, and should consist only of the text requested, with no photographs or illustrations added. Work submitted in other ways will not be accepted.
Entries may be submitted only between 12:01am GMT on 9th November 2026 and 11.59pm GMT on 8th January 2027. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates, and any entries that do not meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions, will not be eligible for entry.
Shortlisted entrants will be invited to submit their Novel Pitch by the closing date in July 2027.
The final winner will be announced in August 2027.
Longlisted and shortlisted entrants will be informed via email and announced on the Primadonna websites. Their names may also be publicised by Primadonna and Renard Press in other media or on social-media sites.
The competition is not open to employees or board members of Primadonna or Renard Press or their families, or to anyone professionally connected to the competition or to the judges either themselves or through their families.
An entrant may only submit one entry. If further entries are made only the first will be considered and the remainder will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
Primadonna is not responsible for contacting or responding to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries that are lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
Primadonna reserves the right to cancel the competition and to alter the details of the Prizes or judging panels without notice. No cash alternative or other alternatives to the Prize will be provided.
The names and email addresses of entrants (‘Information’) will be collected by Renard Press and will be used in accordance with GDPR rules. Information will not be shared with anyone outside Primadonna and Renard.
By entering the competition, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
These Terms and Conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
This competition is being organised by Primadonna Festival CIC, Laffitts Hall, Pettaugh, Suffolk, IP14 6DT.