Tina Shah won Hachette's Mo Siewcharran Prize for The Treaties We Break, the Bookseller reported. The award, named in memory of Nielsen BookData's former director of marketing and communications, was launched in 2019 and "aims to shine a light on unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic backgrounds." This year, the prize was hosted by Hodderscape and focused on under-represented writers in the fantasy genre. It is sponsored by John Seaton, Siewcharran's husband and co-founder of the award, and Nielsen BookData.
Judge Edwina de Charnacé said: "From a heart-fluttering enemies to lovers arc, to strong female leads and a diverse cast of fleshed-out characters, without forgetting its reimaginings of classic themes that will recall Romeo and Juliet and the Trojan War, The Treaties We Break is a fine example of how fantasy, injected with humor and pathos, can ambitiously tackle the question of who and what we fight for, and why."
The winner receives £2,500 (about $3,355), along with a letter from a Hodderscape editor giving feedback on their entry and a follow-up online mentoring session. They will also have introductory meetings with at least two literary agents, an introductory session with the Hodder & Stoughton rights team, meetings with the Hodder & Stoughton marketing and publicity teams, and a ticket to London Book Fair 2025. The winner’s entry will be taken to a Hodder & Stoughton acquisitions meeting and considered for publication.
The first and second runners-up were Deity of a Drowning Realm by K. Andrea White and Modern Day Dragons by Ana Sun. White receives £1,500 (about $2,010), a detailed letter from a Hodderscape editor giving feedback on their entry, and a hamper of Hodderscape books. Sun gets £750 (about $1,005) and a hamper of Hodderscape books.