Footnote Press and Counterpoints Arts have announced a new £15,000 fiction prize celebrating authors from refugee and migrant backgrounds, marking a major step in amplifying diverse literary voices.
Footnote x Counterpoints Prize for Fiction
Footnote Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, and Counterpoints Arts, a leading organisation in arts and migration, have partnered to launch the Footnote x Counterpoints Prize for Fiction 2026. This initiative builds on their earlier collaboration in non-fiction, but for the first time, the prize will focus exclusively on fiction.
– Prize value: £15,000 total, split between a £7,500 cash award and a £7,500 advance tied to a publication agreement with Footnote Press.
– Eligibility: Writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds, regardless of prior publication history.
– Themes: Submissions must explore displacement, courage, and belonging, though organisers encourage expansive and eclectic interpretations that cross cultures, communities, and borders.
– Timeline: The submissions window runs from 27 November 2025 to 13 February 2026, with finalists announced ahead of Refugee Week in June 2026.
A Platform for New Voices
The prize is designed to spotlight underrepresented authors whose stories reflect the lived realities of migration and resettlement. Organisers emphasise that the award is not only financial but also a publishing opportunity, ensuring that the winning novel reaches a wide literary audience.
Counterpoints Arts, known for championing cultural change through migration-focused projects, described the prize as a way to “expand the canon” and bring forward narratives that challenge and enrich mainstream literature. Footnote Press echoed this sentiment, highlighting their commitment to publishing works that interrogate identity, belonging, and the intersections of global experience.
Building on Past Success
This is the second collaboration between Footnote Press and Counterpoints Arts. Their earlier prize focused on narrative non-fiction, awarding works centred on identity, resistance, and displacement. The shift to fiction reflects a growing recognition of the power of storytelling to capture emotional truths and cultural complexities beyond reportage.
Industry Impact
The Footnote x Counterpoints Prize arrives at a time when UK publishing is under pressure to diversify its voices and respond to global migration debates. By offering both financial support and a publishing contract, the prize provides a rare pathway for emerging authors who may otherwise struggle to access mainstream literary platforms.
As submissions open, the prize is expected to draw a wide range of entries—from debut writers experimenting with form to established voices seeking to tell new stories of migration and belonging.
In short: Footnote Press and Counterpoints Arts are investing in fiction as a vehicle for refugee and migrant voices, offering £15,000 and a publishing deal to ensure these stories reach the literary stage.
About the Author
Discover more from Geek Digest
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
