It’s time to announce the UV2024 judging panel!

It gives us great pleasure to share with you who will be judging this year’s competition and to thank them all for taking part.

Five UK literary agents and two editors comprise the all-star judging panel for Undiscovered Voices 2024:

  • Zoë Plant, literary agent at The Bent Agency
  • Amber Caravéo, literary agent and Director of Skylark Literary
  • Jenny Savill, literary agent and Managing Director of Andrew Nurnberg Associates
  • Saffron Dodds, Associate Agent at ASH Literary
  • Louise Lamont, literary agent at LBA
  • Sarah Stewart, Senior Commissioning Editor at Usborne
  • Linas Alsenas, Executive Editor at Scholastic UK

Our fabulous Honorary Chair will be announced very soon!

Upcoming UV2024 Dates for your Diary

When do UV2024 Submissions Open?

Submissions will be accepted between 15th June and 20th July 2023 via an online submission process. There is no submissions fee, but only unagented and unpublished members of SCBWI living in the UK and Europe (writing in the English language) are eligible. Plus, there are changes to the submission requirements:  See full details here. (a link to be added)

Undiscovered Voice Events

As always, we have an exciting array of events and masterclasses to help you make sure your competition entry is as polished and dynamic as possible. Starting with:

Free Zoom Kick-Off Event on 27th  April 2023 from 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.

This event will be a panel discussion with the judges, who will offer valuable advice for those planning to submit to the anthology. To attend, you must be a member of SCBWI in the UK or EU.

The UV May Masterclasses

For UV2024, we have put together 3x exciting Masterclasses running throughout May, to help you craft a winning submission. These are:

  • 11th May 2023 How to Write a Pitch for your UV Submission
  • 18th May 2023 How to Create a Standout First Chapter
  • 25th May 2023 Tips and Advice from Previous UV Finalists

These live Zoom Webinar sessions will run from 8-9pm and will be available to download.

Included in the UV2024 Masterclass package, as a bonus, you can also download the brilliant 2022 Masterclasses – for FREE! These include:

  • Titles that sell, introduced by Jenny Glencross who is in discussion with Dani Wilson from Simon & Schuster’s Children’s sales team on how to craft a title to capture the attention of readers.
  • Writing a Synopsis, Author/editor Benjamin Scott will share the secrets of how to summarize a novel into the perfect synopsis required for each UV submission.
  • Hooking your reader from the start Editor/author Catherine Coe and author/screenwriter Simon James Green will discuss how to polish those opening lines so readers are compelled to read on. 

The complete UV Masterclass package is £30. Plus, as always, free places will be available for writers who are financially struggling or underrepresented in children’s publishing.

You will be able to book UV events on the SCBWI-BI website soon!

For more details on how to submit and to sign up for news and updates about Undiscovered Voices, visit www.undiscoveredvoices.com or follow us on our new follow us on our UV Twitter account:

@UVcompetition

More news soon!