Luigi Bonomi Associates Prize for Fiction

Thursday 224 May, 2007
Luigi Bonomi Associates Prize for Fiction
Bethany Pope who is studying for a PhD in Creative Writing at the Department of English is the winner of the inaugural Luigi Bonomi Associates Prize for Fiction.

The award, which has been established by the Department in association with the prestigious London literary agency Luigi Bonomi Associates (LBA), was presented to Bethany by Professor of Creative Writing Jem Poster at a reception on Wednesday 9 May.

The LBA Prize for Fiction, as it will be known, will become an annual fixture in the English Department's calendar and awarded to the writer of fiction who is considered most likely to produce publishable work. As well as a money prize of £500, founder-director of LBA Luigi Bonomi will meet and advise the winner, possibly with a view to eventually placing a book with a London publisher.

Speaking of the award, professor Jem Poster said; “This is a tremendous coup for the department and the University, and hugely beneficial to its students. This year a shortlist of 12 entries (internally filtered from a total of 34) was sent to Luigi Bonomi, who gave them close attention before selecting one winner and 3 other entries worthy of honourable mention.”

“It's extremely difficult for young writers to get their work read by an agent, and this represents a remarkable opportunity. Success beyond this point can’t be guaranteed, of course, but there’s always the hope that the winner will eventually achieve publication,” he added.

US student Bethany, who enrolled on the Creative Writing PhD which was set up 3 years ago, is writing a novel (and the accompanying critical commentary required for the thesis) under the supervision of Dr Tiffany Atkinson.

After receiving the award she said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award especially after hearing the other short listed authors read excerpts from their work. It was an amazing experience to see so much talent in one room and even more wonderful to learn that I have the opportunity to speak to and learn from Mr. Bonomi, one of the best in the business.”

In his adjudication of Bethany’s work Luigi Bonomi wrote:
“A wonderfully lyrical writer with a sinuous poetic turn of phrase.  There is a languor in her writing that is very appealing and which strikes me as symptomatic of American writing set in the Deep South – a kind of Southern Gothic that has enormous promise.

“The characterization is incredibly well realised and the imagery and themes are subtly played out.  In these few pages alone, she has managed to pack in a host of small fully formed scenes – the old lady clutching the jar of dead foetuses; the neighbour stealing the jewellery, the father rushing off in a panic to hold his newly born daughter in his arms. All of these are exceptionally well written and leave powerful impressions on the mind.”

Luigi Bonomi established Luigi Bonomi Associates in 2005. Prior to this he worked for Macdonald Futura as Editor of Children's Fiction & Teenage Fiction, Harlequin as Senior Editor Woman's commercial Fiction, Penguin Books as Editorial Director, and as Senior Literary Agent for Sheil Land Associates.

LBA currently represent a large number of authors and journalists including political journalists like John Humphrys and Melanie Phillips, geneticists and psychologists like Professor Bryan Sykes and Professor Melissa Hines, historians like Dr Terry Brighton and Professor Colin Mcdowell, garden writers like Alan Titchmarsh and Rachel de Thame, thriller writers like John Rickards and David Gibbins and literary writers like Jem Poster and Cris Freddi.