We are delighted to be announcing the two winners of the Owned Voices Novel Award 2021. The judging panel wishes to commend all shortlisted authors on the strength of their submissions, particularly given the quality and volume of submissions this year.
Kitty Edwards
Novel Title: The Blue Poppy
Kitty grew up in Manchester, the daughter of a botanist and a South African Indian immigrant who became a mental health social worker. She spent much of her childhood in the herbarium of Manchester Museum, where her father worked and on which the herbarium in The Blue Poppy is based. Her work has previously been longlisted for the Bridport Prize.
The Blue Poppy is a book club novel about myopic botanist, Dr Gill Pearce, who travels from London to Nepal in search of a rare blue flower that can heal the mind. It is an upbeat mix between Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder and Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing.
Kitty said, “It’s fantastic to know that the Owned Voices team has read my work and enjoyed it. Writing can be such an isolating process that recognition and support from an award like this is invaluable.”
Why this novel is a winner: We fell in love with Kitty’s narrative voice and the at once gentle and incisive way in which she draws her characters. The pitch is a compelling one, and we look forward to discussing Kitty’s work further with her.
Cathy Cole
Novel Title: The Hungry Ghost
Cathy Cole is a novelist, prize-winning short story writer and Pushcart Nominated poet from Northern Ireland. Cathy has recently completed her second standalone novel The Hungry Ghost and is close to completion of Legacy – The Beginning, her first book in a series based in Belfast.
In The Hungry Ghost, a class reunion on a remote island stirs up secrets from the past and awakens a murderer determined to keep those secrets hidden. The Hungry Ghost is a mystery suspense novel, which would appeal to readers who like the works of Karen Rose, Linda Howard and the standalone novels of Karin Slaughter.
Cathy said, “I am beyond delighted to find out I am one of the winners of the Owned Voices Novel Award 2021. To have my work validated this way means the world to me. Thank you so much to all involved.”
Why this novel is a winner: Cathy’s novel delivers mountains of intrigue and suspense. Her narrative style is vivid and captivating, and the judges found themselves racing through the pages to uncover her characters’ secrets.