Time for joy and time for cheer
Publishing is a tough business. But there has been much to celebrate this year. Debut fiction has captured the hearts of the nation.
Top tip: Embrace your successes, big or small.
Debuts in the news
Debut fiction captured readers’ imaginations across genres. The likes of The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley and The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable, were breakout successes while Greta and Valdin by Rebecca Reilly and Mongrel by Hanako Footman inspired literary readers with their layered themes and mastery of language.
Waterstones’ Debut Fiction Prize boasted an impressive and enviable longlist of titles, any of which would have been worthy of the top spot. It was Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon that won over booksellers and readers with its comedy, tragedy and pathos.
The future of the debut
Debut fiction’s ability to connect with readers, inspire writers and generate massive amounts of buzz is only growing. Publicists, editors and reviewers love a debut. It's a chance to explore a new point of view, to get to know a new author and to see how they view the world.
So those of you out there working on your debut novel – or still aspiring to – keep going. There is every possibility of tapping into this growing ‘cult of the debut’ upon the publication of your novel.
Next year’s anticipated debuts
The Debut Writers’ Academy’s 2024 cohort is comprised of a number of authors whose debut novels are due to be published in 2025. They include:
Cristin Williams, The Whisper of Stars, 6 November 2025
Finn Longman, The Wolf and His King, 27 November 2025
Florence Knapp, The Names, 8 May 2025
Hattie Williams, Bitter Sweet, 3 July 2025
Kate Kemp, The Grapevine, 13 March 2025
Kingsley Pearson, Flat 401, 24 April 2025
Lucy Rose, The Lamb, 30 January 2025
Nussaibah Younis, Fundamentally, 25 February 2025
Oraine Johnson, Lucid, 7 August 2025
Rafael Torrubia, The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver, 30 October 2025
Rose McDonagh, One Came Back, 27 February 2025
Savannah Stephens, Witch Queen Rising, 25 September 2025
Stephanie Yeboah, Chaotic Energy, 3 April 2025
Tuyen Do, Summer Rolls, 24 April 2025
Last words: Debuts bring a sense of excitement to the publishing industry. There has been much to celebrate this year and there will be many successes to enjoy in the future. Happy new year!
The Debut Writers’ Academy Diaries will be taking its festive break from 19 December - 6 January. Check back on 7 January for our next post.