2026 LaureateReigning Winner
Marguerite Vance
Literary Sci-Fi · for The Tidewater Engine
For visionary, small-press storytelling that turns quiet science fiction into something luminous and lasting.
Author's Spotlight
Meet the voices shaping our reading journey
Featured this month
United States Romance & Women's Fiction
Anne Morenn
Anne Morenn is a contemporary romance and women's fiction author whose writing is deeply shaped by her unique life journey. Because she spent decades as a "nomad" before finding her true home, her stories focus heavily on how people rebuild, adapt, and discover who they are.
Our Highest Honour
Literary Excellence Award Winners
2025 Laureate
Orla Brennan
Gothic Suspense · for Salt House
For atmospheric, independently published work that proves the West of Ireland is a character all its own.
2024 Laureate
Tomas Eklund
Nordic Mystery · for The Lighthouse at Önd
For a slow-burn début in translation that gripped readers across two continents and never let go.
2023 Laureate
Carla Benedetti
Speculative Romance · for A Map of Borrowed Light
For a tender, genre-blending début that brought a new generation to soft science fiction.
The Roster
More featured authors
United StatesLiterary Fiction
Brandon Taylor
Brandon Taylor is an American writer whose introspective fiction explores friendship, race, and desire in academic settings. His debut Real Life was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, marking him as one of the most thoughtful new voices in US letters.
View on Amazon
United KingdomLiterary Gothic
Daisy Johnson
Daisy Johnson writes mythic, unsettling fiction rooted in the waterways and landscapes of England. With Everything Under she became the youngest author ever shortlisted for the Booker Prize, though her work remains a discovery for many readers.
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IrelandExperimental Fiction
Claire-Louise Bennett
Claire-Louise Bennett is an England-born, Ireland-based writer celebrated for her singular, interior prose. Her cult debut Pond redefined what a novel could be, earning fierce admiration from critics and fellow writers alike.
View on AmazonUnited StatesRomance & Women's Fiction
Anne Morenn
Anne Morenn is a contemporary romance and women's fiction author whose writing is deeply shaped by her unique life journey. Because she spent decades as a "nomad" before finding her true home, her stories focus heavily on how people rebuild, adapt, and discover who they are.
View on Amazon
United StatesMystery
Charlie Hudson
Award-winning mystery author whose stories blend small-town intrigue, military experience, and unforgettable underwater investigations. Charlie Hudson brings depth and authenticity to every narrative.
View on Amazon
United StatesMedical Mystery
Lin Wilder
A gripping medical-legal thriller writer whose stories plunge readers into high-stakes conspiracies involving medical ethics, federal indictments, and explosive social controversy. Author of A Price for Genius and Mathus Revisited.
View on Amazon
United KingdomMedical & Psychiatry
John Wattis
Professor John Wattis is a leading voice in old age psychiatry, bringing compassionate insight to the mental health needs of older adults. His authoritative yet accessible work has influenced clinical practice across Europe and beyond.
View on AmazonOn Demand
Past Spotlight Sessions
ReplayCrafting the Slow-Burn Nordic Mystery
Tomas Eklund · Nordic Mystery
May 22, 2026 · 3.1K views
ReplayPlace as Character: Writing the Irish Gothic
Orla Brennan · Gothic Suspense
Apr 24, 2026 · 2.4K views
ReplayWhere Romance Meets the Speculative
Carla Benedetti · Speculative Romance
Mar 27, 2026 · 1.9K views
Recognition
Spotlight Awards
2026
Members' Choice: Discovery of the Year
Marguerite Vance — For The Tidewater Engine
2025
Hidden Gem Award
Orla Brennan — Best independently published novel
2025
Translated Voices Prize
Tomas Eklund — Outstanding début in translation