Tags
The Servant – the book we hope to be reading soon! Many congratulations to ninevoice Maggie Richell Davies, who has won the Sharpe Books/Historical Writers’ Association Unpublished Award 2020.
The other eight ninevoices have heard this book progress (and change form) for some time now and we know how good it is. We’re in 1765: and, to quote the HWA website, “Fourteen-year-old Hannah must go where she’s sent, despite her instincts screaming danger. Why does disgraced aristocrat William Chalke have a locked room in his house? What’s sold at the auctions taking place behind closed doors?” The story evokes 18th century London and its squalor and brutality and also its redeeming features.
It’s clear from the descriptions of the short- and longlisted novels how strong a field the judges had to choose from. Our congratulations to all those authors in those lists! See http://www.historiamag.com/hwa-sharpe-books-unpublished-novel-award-winner/
ninevoices 
Ed, that is SO kind of you. Of course, the book would never have won that competition without the invaluable help of a great group of writing friends…
Well done Maggie, fantastic achievement.
Thank you so much, Em. People might be comforted to know that I received a rejection towards the end of the week – which helps keep things in perspective about different people liking different writing. Mind, I have also been lucky enough to make the Exeter Novel longlist…
Maggie, we;re SO proud of you, Not only are you wonderfully talented, we know what grit and hard work and determination it took – this is utterly deserved. Brava. – Christine
And wonderfully supplied with talented friends and beta-readers…If anyone’s wondering about joining or creating a writing group, this should be the push to make them go ahead and do it.
Congratulations Maggie, you must be really proud!
I note that HWA said of ‘The Servant’: “I was gripped from the very first line.’”
That first line was YOUR line, and you stuck to it whatever ‘improvements’ we might have suggested. You showed how vital it is for writers to have the courage to hold to what they really believe in, no matter what advice they’re given.
Of course, we were pretty hot on the commas and minor spelling issues. 🙂
– Christine
To say nothing of arguing vehemently about its three different titles…!