Announcing the Winner of The Next Big Story

After six months, 22,500 submissions, and thousands of hours spent reading, 30 writers made the longlist, and a final 8 made the shortlist.

From gilded carriages pulled by horses with shimmering manes, to hot water bottles stuffed with cremated remains, The Next Big Story shortlist was full of surprises spanning a multitude of genres—fantasy, crime, historical, contemporary fiction, dystopia, speculative, and suspense. These pages had us on the edge of our seats, desperate to read more. Thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite, and congratulations again to our shortlist!

The winner of The Next Big Story will take home $100,000 and a place on The Finished Novel Course, and the remaining 7 shortlisted finalists will also scoop The Finished Novel Course.

The winner of The Next Big Story

It was an exciting week as our esteemed panel of judges gathered online to review the shortlist, discuss the stories, and collectively select a winner! We’re honored to have had such an impressive team making the final decision—thank you to our wonderful judges.

It wasn’t an easy decision, nor was it taken lightly. In the wise words of Tayari Jones, judging chair and Women’s Prize for Fiction-winning author of An American Marriage:

This is a very serious responsibility we have here in front of us. We’re going to change someone’s life. We’re going to put a worthy writer on the path to being an author. Every single one of the entries—all 22,500—are, in fact, writers. But we are about to help someone become an author.
—Tayari Jones

And now, after carefully considering the public vote, the judges have made their final decision. Drum roll, please!

Join us in congratulating a writer who is well on their way to being an author. The winner of The Next Big Story 2025 is...

Stella Donovan

Congratulations, Stella! 

Here’s what Stella had to say:

‘It is absolutely mind-boggling to receive such a generous prize as an unpublished novelist. Even more incredible is the assurance that there’s no deadline or pressure attached, and that the funds exist simply to support me as I develop the work at my own pace. There are so many predatory contests and programs that take advantage of unpublished writers and charge exorbitant fees while offering almost nothing in return. The Novelry’s support, encouragement, and transparency have shown me that it’s an organization run by writers for writers. I couldn’t be more grateful.

‘Beyond the financial support, I’m deeply honored to have been selected by such a prestigious panel of judges. Their endorsement has given me something that’s often hard to sustain without connections, mentors, or a visible path into the literary world: confidence. Confidence that my dreams aren’t naive or unrealistic, and that my persistent return to this character wasn’t as delusional as I (and probably my wonderful friends and family) sometimes feared.

‘I encourage anyone who has a story that won’t let them go to keep writing, take a big swing, and bet on yourself. As I’ve learned over the last few weeks, everything is possible.’

You can read Stella’s winning entry here.

Here’s what our judges had to say about the winning entry

There were standout sentences that I woke up this morning thinking about. I just loved the voice—it felt fresh. It made me nostalgic and laugh a little, while also just liking hearing a fresh, younger voice that wasn’t talking about social media. I don’t know 20-year-olds right now that have a POV about sex in that way, so I thought that was really interesting to see.
—Emma Roberts, actress and Belletrist book club cofounder

The writing was, I thought, very, very good. The details, like the earrings with the scorpions, the necklace on the back of the door... I just thought it all came together very nicely and ended very strongly. I could imagine following this young woman in her 20th year: what happens with her? Does she get a better boyfriend? I thought it combined both story and style.
—Yann Martel, Booker Prize-winning author of Life of Pi

While the time is counting down to New Year’s, it felt like we’re eagerly awaiting what is coming next, and what are we counting down to? I thought that was an interesting element. The line in the first paragraph right at the end: ‘The only thing worse than turning 20 on top of a man who won’t date her is turning 20 while he’s on top of someone else.’ I highlighted that, I just thought it was one of my favorites.
—Brady Lockerby, social media influencer and BookToker

There were some incredible turns of phrase. It was a really good blend of the commercial and the literary in terms of story versus craft. There was a certain self-awareness to the character that made her interesting; she was so aware of each moment as it passed. Even though she’s doing something that screams of a certain self-loathing, she still has this sense of agency. That was interesting to me.
—Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

There’s a famous quote about how the smallest details reveal, sometimes, the biggest themes, and I think this is about the search for love, somebody who wants to be loved, and I feel like that is one of those primal things that so many people can relate to. I felt like it had a lot of themes that people could discuss in a book club.
—Zibby Owens, podcast host of Totally Booked with Zibby, author, publisher, bookstore owner

To me, this is the piece with great writing and great voice, and it feels so fresh. This is an author with potential to do something really interesting.
—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different, Meet Me at the Lake, and Every Summer After

I feel like it’s relatable to certain people, and it would show a walk of life. Someone’s perspective that you don’t share. But it’s also interesting to see how she feels about herself, perceives relationships, and, I guess, how sex is for her, and I think diving into that would be really interesting to explore and to see, truly, what does she do the next day? What’s going to happen after you turn 20? What do you plan on doing?
—Kimmy Nwokorie, social media content creator and BookToker

I want to read the rest of this story, as part of a larger book.
—Jackie Oshry, co-host of The Toast and author of The Camper and the Counselor

Revealing the 8 shortlisted writers

Now, we’re delighted to pull back the curtain and reveal all of the shortlisted writers behind the words. They will also be joining The Novelry on The Finished Novel Course to enjoy a year of motivation and support to finish their novels. Here they are:

Finalist 1: Hannah Feather – Georgia, U.S.A.

‘He wanted to teach me a lesson, so he left me on the side of the road somewhere in rural Missouri.’

Read Hannah’s shortlisted entry.

Hannah Feather is from Lawrenceville, Georgia, and has loved creative writing since childhood. This led her to pursue a BA in English at the University of Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude in December 2022. Since graduating, she has been an English tutor, where she strives to share and inspire the same love of reading and writing for the students she works with daily. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Library and Information Science, which not only combines her passion for literature but aligns with her deep support of intellectual freedom and the right to read for all. 

Hannah also has an extensive background in classical ballet, which provided another outlet for creative expression and her overall love for the arts. Her relationship with writing itself has had its ebbs and flows, but has always been something she has returned to, no matter what. The joy she often finds diving into the world of her stories is unlike any other, and she is incredibly excited to continue the exploration of the story she is working on now with The Novelry. 

Hannah says:

‘Entering The Next Big Story prize has taught me to believe in the story I have to tell. The world of the story and its characters have been with me for a couple of years now and have refused to leave. Not that I have wanted them to, but I have always found some excuse not to nourish the idea. Entering this contest has been the push I’ve needed to take the plunge with my storytelling, and has amplified the voice in my head that simply tells me to write.’

Finalist 2: Stella Donovan – New York, U.S.A. (Winner!)

‘Grace Labeille is turning twenty on top of a man who does not love her and will not date her.’

Read Stella’s prize-winning entry.

Stella Donovan is a Maryland-born writer and editor based in New York City. She spends her days working as a communications strategist for a global architecture and design firm and her evenings writing a novel about a woman with a mysterious physical condition. When she’s not writing or strategizing, Stella can be found training in mixed martial arts, taking dance classes, or spoiling her dog, Leonidas. You can find her scribbling on the A train, wandering through the gardens at Fort Tryon Park, or searching for the perfect chair in one of the city’s beautiful libraries.

Stella says:

‘I first imagined this character the summer after my first year of college. Throughout my twenties, I picked up and abandoned the story again and again. I always felt dissatisfied with my drafts. At one point, I became so frustrated that I swore I’d never return to the idea again. But I could never get the story or character out of my head.

‘After I moved to New York City last year, the story began to take shape with a new clarity and energy. I knew it was ridiculous to return to a novel I’d struggled with on and off for nearly fifteen years. I also knew I’d have no peace until she was fully on the page. Part of me felt (though it seemed foolish or grandiose to admit out loud) that there was a reason I’d never been able to let her go.

‘When I saw the ad for the contest, I assumed the odds of advancing even past the first round were slim, especially with a scene so frank in its portrayal of sexual vulnerability, rage, and pleasure. But I’d promised myself when I moved to the city that I would pursue every opportunity that came my way, no matter how unlikely.

‘I’ve never been happier to have kept that promise.’

Finalist 3: Kierra Eackles – Texas, U.S.A.

‘The birds stopped singing on the morning of the audit.’

Read Kierra’s shortlisted entry.

Kierra Eackles was born and raised in Texas and has spent the past eight years teaching Language Arts, a career that has deepened her love for storytelling and words. Kierra is currently in the final semester of her graduate program, where most of her writing has focused on creative essays. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her husband and sisters while their children play together. Over the past few months, Kierra’s also been world-building and developing ideas for this story.

Kierra says:

‘This contest has been a turning point for me. It showed me that my ideas are more than imagination, they have real potential. It’s inspired me to take my craft seriously and to truly believe that one day, when I walk into Target or Barnes & Noble, I’ll see my own books on the shelf.’

Finalist 4: Ashmita Bhattacharjee – Ohio, U.S.A.

‘If you ever wake up in a gilded carriage pulled by white horses with shimmering manes, don’t panic. You’re already doomed.’

Read Ashmita’s shortlisted entry.

Ashmita is a 20-year-old, premed, Biological Engineering student at the Ohio State University. She grew up mostly in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her parents and dog, Scruffy. She’s always been a very avid reader since she was young, from fantasy to science fiction to comics. She always used to write for English class, but then she started to enjoy writing little pockets of stories about ideas that would randomly pop into her head, but they were always there for her to read and escape into. 

Ashmita says:

‘I would say that I love reading because I can feel the author’s sincerity in their story and what they want to express, whether that is to laugh or cry. This contest showed me that I should believe in my writing more and take it seriously because there could be readers out there who are laughing and crying about it, just like I do when I read a good story myself.’

Finalist 5: Rob Winslow – London, U.K.

‘You can fit the entire cremated remains of a 5ft 2” woman inside a hot water bottle.’

Read Rob’s shortlisted entry.

Rob grew up in the south of England before moving to London to pursue his dream of living in a small flat close to traffic. He currently practices his storytelling in the harshest of environments—advertising—where he works hard to create entertaining campaigns in the face of skip buttons, ever-shorter time lengths, and ad-blockers. In his spare time, he regularly injures himself playing Sunday League football, after which, win or lose, he likes to read in the bath. His favorite book is The Sellout. Rob believes strongly that it is possible to love dogs and cats equally.

Rob says:

‘The challenge of setting up a story in three pages was exactly what I needed to focus my disorganised plans for a novel. Rather than staying in my comfort zone of writing never-ending descriptions, I had to think about how I could create an opening that would propel the plot forwards and plant interesting questions in the mind of the reader.

‘But the most powerful part of the competition was its ambition: to take the beginning of an idea and help craft it into a finished book. I never expected to get anywhere near the shortlist, but the fact that it was technically possible with something close to what I already had gave me that “what if?” moment. It was a jolt of motivation that helped me chisel a 1,500-word introduction out of my mess of a Google Doc.’

Finalist 6: Carmelita Zappala – London, U.K.

‘Every night for almost a month after her son’s suicide on TikTok live, their cat waits.’

Read Carmelita’s shortlisted entry.

Carmelita was born and raised in a relatively small town in Sicily, Italy, where she spent her teenage years reading Chuck Palahniuk, listening to Lana del Rey’s Born to Die an unhealthy number of hours, and dreaming of being somewhere else. That’s why she started writing.

After moving to the U.K. in 2013, she continued to write in her first language and was shortlisted for Italy’s Campiello Giovani prize twice, in 2014 and 2016. She then switched to English and never (sort of) looked back.

Still, her upbringing in Sicily continues to influence her craft, and the latter has, in return, helped her look fondly at a place that had felt, for the longest time, like little more than a cage. Her family back home has always been supportive of her creative endeavors and has, so far, believed in her more than she has believed in herself.

Carmelita currently lives in North London, where she spends her free non-writing time reading, binge-watching TV shows, going out (or staying in) with friends, and making terrible financial decisions after minor inconveniences. She no longer dreams of being somewhere else.

Carmelita says:

‘The Next Big Story prize was sent to me by my flatmate (and close friend), who suggested I give it a go. I’d seen it before, but had thought to myself, “What’s the point? I’ll never get anywhere near the shortlist.” That she believed I was good enough to enter pushed me to pick my manuscripts back up with renewed dedication. That was enough. And here we are now. And knowing I made it this far, and that I can be part of a community that will support me moving forward, is nothing short of unreal. This prize has meant another shot at this, whatever the future may hold.’

Finalist 7: Liam Morris – Norfolk, U.K.

‘The sheep didn’t care that the dictator was dying.’

Read Liam’s shortlisted entry.

Liam grew up on the Wirral but now lives in Norfolk with his wife, two lovely daughters, and their elderly—and highly eccentric—Spanish Dalmatian, Guillo. (Guillo, affectionately known in Liam’s house as ‘Don Pedro,’ actually makes a brief cameo in his submission—as the village priest!)

Liam has worked in the U.K. civil service for the best part of a decade, in various trade and policy roles. Before that, Liam worked in editorial roles in academic publishing—first on scientific journals, then on books in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Liam studied History at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, is obsessed with historical fiction, and has always been drawn to Spain, its language, its culture, and its turbulent twentieth century—during which it moved from democratic republic to civil war, dictatorship, and eventually, democracy. He lived there for two years in his twenties and still returns whenever he can. This fascination with Spain, and the human stories behind its recent history, helped to fire his imagination and often lies at the heart of his writing.

Liam says:

‘I’ve always dreamt of writing a novel but have often struggled to find the time – and probably the confidence – to really get started. The competition’s format, focusing on just the first three pages of my novel, felt achievable and gave me the push I needed to get my ideas down on the page. I still can’t quite believe I’ve reached the final, but doing so has definitely helped to quiet some of that self-doubt and reminded me why I love writing in the first place. The chance to build on that and take my novel through to completion, through enrolment on The Novelry’s Finished Novel Course and with the support of its community of writers and writing coaches, is incredibly exciting.’

Finalist 8: K.J. Cooper – California, U.S.A.

‘Harlow had never known what it meant to be clean.’

Read K.J.’s shortlisted entry.

K.J. Cooper grew up just outside Chicago, where stories became her favorite escape long before she ever dreamed of writing her own. With a stack of books always within reach, she discovered early on that words could be both a refuge and a gateway to mesmerizing new worlds. That love for literature carried her to the University of Missouri, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Anthropology—fields that fed both her curiosity about people and her fascination with the cultures we build.

Content to be a reader until 2024, she finally began writing the stories she had always searched for—thanks to a not-so-gentle shove from her husband, Ben. Now, she strives to craft worlds where epic fantasy collides and reflects struggles of our own, weaving high-stakes adventures with threads of justice, belonging, power, and empathy.

Her inspirations range widely: the visionary world-building of N.K. Jemisin, the gritty and striking nature of George Lucas, the immersive romance of Rebecca Yarros, and the fierce, character-driven sagas of Sarah J. Maas.

As both a writer and social media manager, Kylie is passionate about connection—whether through stories, communities like BookTok, or in any space where imagination can thrive unapologetically. She hopes her work will one day stand alongside the voices that first inspired her, and that readers will open her book and feel seen for the first time, just as she once did.

K.J. says:

‘For the longest time, I started stories but never finished them, always second-guessing myself. Entering The Novelry’s contest inspired me to finally take a chance on myself and write the story I had always wanted to read. For the first time, the words poured out of me instead of fighting me, and being shortlisted felt like proof that the effort and persistence had been worth it—that my voice really does belong on the page.’

Once again, congratulations to our shortlist! We can’t wait to see where you take these captivating stories next.

Thank you to everyone who entered. Because of you, our idea to bring fresh new voices to the page turned a wild idea into the largest literary prize in history. 22,500 of you dared to start a story and begin an adventure in fiction. It’s been an honor reading your incredible opening pages.

As our illustrious chair puts it: 

Ignore the naysayers, the novel is alive and well! 22,500 brave writers shared their words and visions. Our winner is just one of the winners in this endeavor. The real winners are the thousands of writers busy at their computers, typing away—bearing witness, spinning yarns, and speaking their truths. Let us rejoice!
—Tayari Jones

We’re grateful to you all, to our team of author and editor reviewers, and our esteemed panel of judges.

Keep writing—we can’t wait to see you next year. Stay tuned for news about The Next Big Story 2026!