The Society of Authors distributed £100,000 (about $126,220) to 30 writers during the 2023 SoA Awards ceremony, presented in London by the organization's chair, Joanne Harris, with a keynote from Val McDermid.
Among the honorees, Daniel Wiles took the £10,000 (about $12,620) Betty Trask Prize for a first novel by a writer under 35 for Mercia’s Take; the £5,000 (about $6,310) Queen's Knickers Award, honoring an outstanding children's original illustrated book for ages 0-7, went to Olaf Falafel for Blobfish; and the £1,250 (about $1,575) ADCI (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) Literary Prize went to Nicola Griffith for Spear.
McDermid commented: "Awarded by authors, for authors, the SoA Awards hold a special place in the literary calendar. It is vital that we celebrate the work authors do to help us find meaning in tumultuous times, now more than ever. This year’s winners make that task easy. They have given us a plethora of riches: from sweeping novels, to searching poetry, to first works by exciting authors at the start of new careers. I hope each win fuels that joy of words that first gave birth to these many and various works."