HNS 2026 First Chapters Competition

Category Shortlists Announced

We are delighted to announce the category shortlists for the HNS 2026 First Chapters Competition. Huge congratulations to the shortlisted entrants whose texts now go forward to the Round 2 judges. The category winners will be announced on 1 May.

The entries were 3,000 words max from the opening of an unpublished novel accompanied by an 800 word synopsis. Many thanks to everyone who entered the competition. We received a record number of 650 entries this year from over 30 countries.

Each entry was read by two judges. The Round 1 judges were highly impressed with the calibre of the entries and there were tough decisions to make to arrive at shortlists for each of the 10 categories. We will be sending out the judges’ feedback to all entrants over the next couple of months – April to end of May - and hope all the writers who entered will feel heartened by the comments and keep developing their work.

Enormous thanks to the Round 1 judges.

Category Shortlists

Historical Fiction Ancient to 10th century

ANKHE - EGYPT'S RENEGADE QUEEN - Corinne MacKenzie (Australia)

CARTIMANDUA - Amanda Cockrell (United States)

DEATH, THE FOX, AND THE RAVEN - Lee Cooper (United States)

DIDO, FUGITIVE QUEEN - Marianne Holmes (United Kingdom)

EACH ONE'S MAD DESIRE - Tiffany Percival (Canada)

IN THE SHADOW OF LIONS - Kate Zagoskina (United Kingdom)

JUNIA: THE FORGOTTEN APOSTLE - Robin Cohn (United States)

KINGFISHER - Emily Bernhard (United States)

LEGIONARY'S DAWN - Daniel Bull-Mittens (United Kingdom)

THE LAST LIGHT - J. H. Mann (United Kingdom)

THE LESSER GODDESS OF SUMMER - Janna G. Noelle (Canada)

THE PIRATE OF PORTUS - T. J. S. Hayes (Canada)

THE WEAVER OF UR - Margaret Alene Morse (United States)

THE WOLF AND THE FERRYMAN - Justin Murray (United Kingdom)

WAR CHARIOT - Tim Oliver (United Kingdom)

Historical Fiction 11th century to 16th century

CHRONICLE OF THE PALM: THE WORLD INVERTED - Kathy Curnow (United States)

DANCING WITH THE KING'S SISTER - Rosemary Clark (United Kingdom)

LADY OF THE CASTLE - Rachel Elwiss Joyce (United Kingdom)

NO COWARD SOUL - Faith Cotter (United States)

ONE TOO MANY BONES - Alexandra Syrah (United Kingdom)

SERVANTS OF HEAVEN - Aron Paul (Spain)

STONE FRUIT - Emily Prince (United Kingdom)

STONE OF HEAVEN- Lucy Ferriss (United States)

THAT WHICH REMAINS - Peter Cathmhaoil (United Kingdom)

THE BRIGHT CELL - Martha Sprackland (United Kingdom)

THE LIMNER'S DAUGHTER - Sarah Sorkin (United States)

THE WESTERN KING - A. R. Zamaku (United States)

WHAT MONSTERS YOU MAKE - Melva Seal (United States)

WHEN KINGS GO OFF TO WAR: THE TRUE STORY OF IVANHOE - Patricia Bernstein (United States)

WINTERCEALDE - H Smith (United Kingdom)

Historical Fiction 17th century to 19th century

A MURDER OF CROWS - Juno Baker (United Kingdom)

AN ODD SURPRISING CLUSTER - Emma Mitchell (United Kingdom)

COMMITTED - Zena Ryder (Canada)

CRIBB'S BLOODING - Paul Clabburn (United Kingdom)

GLASS - Grania Read (United Kingdom)

GOODFELLOWE; OR, THE TRAGICAL COMEDY OF A BOY, A LION, A DOG, AND A SPY - Melissa Bissonette (United States)

HOOD SHY - Vanessa Croft (New Zealand)

LA CORDERIE LETTER - Valeria Wenderoth (United States)

SMOOTH STONES: THE TALE OF THE PIRATES OF BEAVER ISLAND - Joan Donaldson (United States)

SPIRIT OF ENDEAVOUR - Matthew Fothergill (United Kingdom)

THE ORPHANS' WHEEL - Suzanne Uttaro Samuels (United States)

THE TRAIL OF BLOOD - Ciaran McAteer (United Kingdom)

THORN OF PLIMOUTH - Catherine Hughes (United States)

UN|COMMON THREAD - Meg Dunley (Australia)

WOMAN BEWARE WOMAN - Arleen McCombie (United Kingdom)

Historical Fiction 20th century

A DREAM SO FAIR - Shelley Adina Bates (United States)

ANNA - Debra Martens (Canada)

BLOOD TIES - Susan Lanigan (Ireland)

EDGE OF THE STEPPE - Claire Buckley (United Kingdom)

LAKE INHERITANCE - Carol M. Cram (Canada)

PARABLE OF AN IRISH GIRL - Rose Servitova (Ireland)

THE ANT HANDLER - Elizabeth Ezra (United Kingdom)

THE ELEPHANT BOX - Russell Working (United States)

THE HUGUENOT'S CHEST - Cassie Smith-Christmas (Ireland)

THE LOOKOUT - Bonnie Blaylock (United States)

THE MIST BETWEEN - Hazel Howe (United Kingdom)

THE MODERN TYPE - David N. Martin (United Kingdom)

THE PEACE OF BREAD - Debby Taylor-Lane (United States)

THE WIND OF GOD - Peter Mallett (United Kingdom)

WHAT TO DO AFTER FIRING - Maria de Luca (United Kingdom)

Historical Romance

BRIGHT LIGHT ON BLUE WATER - Jennifer Delamere (United States)

HER HUSBAND BY PROXY - Kat Chant (Ireland)

MARRIED TO THE MANCHU PRINCE - Leigh G. Wynn (United States)

STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS - Sarah Austin (United Kingdom)

THE BANISHED BAKER'S FORGOTTEN RECIPE - Heather Walrath (United States)

THE BEAUTIFUL GHOST - Taize Jackson (United Kingdom)

THE FABLE OF PENCHET - D. J. Sands (United Kingdom)

THE GIRL FROM THE HEADLAND - Louise Blackburn (United Kingdom)

THE MAGDALENE GIRL - Seána Tinley (United Kingdom)

THE PHYSICIAN OF FLORENCE - Julia Howard (United Kingdom)

THE VISCOUNT AND THE MATCHMAKER - Amita Murray (United Kingdom)

TIME FOR LOVING - Beth Francis (United Kingdom)

WALKING ON AIR - Charlotte Betts (United Kingdom)

WHISKEY SHORES - Elizabeth Singer (United States)

YOURS EVER - Jasmina Svenne (United Kingdom)

Historical Crime

CATARAQUI CONUNDRUM - Adrienne Stevenson (Canada)

CRADLE OF STORMS - M. A. Winslow (United States)

GRAYDON HOUSE - G. M. Malliet (United States)

LADY COPPERS - Clare Langley-Hawthorne (United States)

MEN OF RUIN - Alexandra Florence McDermott (United Kingdom)

MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT MADONNA - Adrienne Vaughan (United Kingdom)

RENAISSANCE - Mark Ezra (United Kingdom)

REQUIEM FOR A LOTUS - Craig H. Bowlsby (Canada)

SS CARE HOME - Katharine Quarmby (United Kingdom)

THE BALLAD OF MERCY LARK - J. A. Lovelock (United Kingdom)

THE COUNTERFEITERS - Richard Lambert (United Kingdom)

THE MADNESS - Nida Broughton (United Kingdom)

THE WASHING AWAY OF WRONGS - Diana Bretherick (United Kingdom)

THE WHISPERING TREE - Julia Cruse (United Kingdom)

WHAT THE EYE DOES NOT SEE - Joy Jordan-Lake (United States)

Biographical Historical Fiction

A FOOTNOTE TO THE TRAGEDY AT SAND CREEK - Margo Laurie (United Kingdom)

A PERSON OF QUALITY - Myrlin Hermes (United States)

MAKING JACK LONDON - Mark Wiederanders (United States)

MARGARET - Angela Dean (United Kingdom)

MINE OWN GOOD DAUGHTER - Elizabeth Carden (United States)

POOR MAD LITTLE SINNER - Lisa Verge Higgins (United States)

SNOW ON THE DESERT SANDS - Jozzie Stuchell Velesig (United States)

SWEET NED - Clara Giuliani (Italy)

THE ARROW AND THE SETTING SUN - Will Colt (United States)

THE BRIEF REIGN OF PRINCESS JULIA GRANT - D. Kamra (United States)

THE FIVE WIVES AND LIVES OF BILLY TIPTON - Sherry Jones (United States)

THE HAUNTING OF HESTER DOWDEN - Claire Travers Smith (United Kingdom)

THE LIGHTNESS OF TRUTH - Bev Ross (Canada)

THE WITCH, THE CANNIBAL & THE HEROES OF FRANCE - Angela Franklyn (United Kingdom)

TO BE SO SPECIAL - Laura Partridge Yoo (United States)

Historical Adventure

ACCIDENTAL ALLY - Jean Cooper Moran (France)

BEARDED GODS - Joshua J. Smith (United States)

DUST OF GOLD - Joe Whitehead (United Kingdom)

FREETRADER - F. B. B. Hendy (United Kingdom)

HOPE - Ella Montgomery (United Kingdom)

MANUMISSION - Kate Sheehan-Finn (United Kingdom)

NEWGATE NELL - Alison Allen (United Kingdom)

SOUND SHADOW - S. D. Galbraith (United States)

STRONG AS MY BONES - Rian Connors (Canada)

THE BOOK OF PILGRIMAGE - Eoghan O'Regan (Ireland)

THE BRUGES AFFAIR - Jenise Boland (Canada)

THE DIVINE CONQUEST - Owen Winn (United Kingdom)

THE FIELD - William Landvoigt Bayne (United States)

THE SAILOR AND THE SUFFRAGETTE - Carolyn Morgan (United Kingdom)

THE UNDOING OF HANNAH BECK - Debra Eckert (United States)

THE WATER SERPENT - Anne M. Kennedy (United Kingdom)

Historical Fantasy, Timeslip, Alternate History

A VIEW OF THE OPEN SKY: A NOVEL IN LETTERS - Elisa Oh (United States)

ANGARRACK - Frances Donovan (United Kingdom)

CHRONICLER - M. J. Porter (United Kingdom)

GLORIA'S TRAVELS - Sylvia Bluck (United Kingdom)

GRISETTE - Laura Madeleine (United Kingdom)

PERSEPHONE - Susan Pieters (Canada)

SET IN STONE - Tom Sykes (United Kingdom)

STRANGE PORTENTS - Ashlin O'Sullivan (Ireland)

THE DAGLANDS- Ellena Murray (United Kingdom)

THE EXTRAORDINARY TO COME - J. Louise Widdowson (United Kingdom)

THE LIFE AND LOST TIMES OF ANNA MARIA GARTHWAITE - Victoria Haslam (United Kingdom)

THE PAINTED NOOSE - Clive Dowling (United Kingdom)

THE SEVENTH MERMAID - Melissa Addey (United Kingdom)

THE TINCTURE - David Yeomans (United Kingdom)

THE UNSPOKEN - Debbie Maxwell Allen (United States)

Children’s & Young Adult Historical Fiction

BUCK'S GAP - Jo Horne (United States)

DAUGHTERS OF ROWAN - Hannah Watson (United Kingdom)

FAIR STOOD THE WIND - Derek Rhodes (United Kingdom)

HEART OF THE MIDWAY - Quinette Cook (United States)

LIONS OF SERENDIB - Rukiya Shanthi (United Kingdom)

LITTLE SKELETONS - Mayra Calvani (Puerto Rico)

MURDER IS HER HOBBY - Kristin Tubb (United States)

P.A.a.L.—A TASTE OF ADVENTURE - Sarah McKenna (Ireland)

SEEK - Robin Scott-Elliot (United Kingdom)

THE FOLLIOT HOUNDS - Helen Edwards (United Kingdom)

THE GIRL WHO RODE IN SECRET - Debby Spitzer (United States)

THE RUM RUNS RED - Harper Carr (Canada)

THE WAY IT WAS, 1959 - Patricia Nesbitt (United States)

THE WHISPERS OF HARROW'S SCAR - Nicola F. Daley (United Kingdom)

WAR OF THE ROSES - Mary F. Braeuner (United States)

Competition Prizes

The Overall Winner will receive £1,000 and the competition trophy.

The ten Category Winners will each receive £500 and a free HNS 2026 conference ticket, including Friday's buffet and Saturday's dinner and competition awards ceremony. The Category Winners will be awarded certificates at the Gala Dinner at the HNS 2026 conference on 22 August 2026. (It is not obligatory to attend the conference but it is encouraged. You will be responsible for your own travel and accommodation costs.)

All shortlisted and winning entrants will receive badges and banners for their websites and announcements on social media.

Every entrant will receive constructive feedback from the judges of between 100 and 200 words. Feedback will be sent out from April until the end of May.

The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Competition Judges

The competition is judged through three rounds.

First Round

The First-Round judging produced the Category Shortlists. The assessors are book reviewers for Historical Novels Review magazine.

Read more about the First-Round Judges.

Second Round

The Second-Round judging will produce the Category Winners. The assessors are book review editors for Historical Novels Review magazine and HNS 2026 conference organisers.

Read more about the Second-Round Judges.

Final Round

The judges for the overall winner are writer Martina Devlin, publisher Karen Sullivan (Orenda Books), and agent Therese Coen (Susanna Lea Associates). Read more about the Final-Round Judges.

Competition Timeline

1 Aug 2025 09.00 GMT Competition opened

17 Nov 2025 23.59 GMT Competition closed

1 Mar 2026 Category Short Lists announced

1 May 2026 Category Winners and the Overall Short List will be announced

22 Aug 2026 Final round judges present prizes to the Category Winners and announce the Overall Winner at the HNS 2026 Conference Gala Dinner

Other Writing Competitions

You can read about a selection of other competitions that you may be interested in here.

Contact

competition@hns2026.com