The Nero Book Awards have announced the shortlist for this year’s Nero New Writers Prize in association with Brunel University of London. Stories by five authors from around the UK and Ireland were chosen by a panel chaired by 2023 Nero Gold Prize winner, Paul Murray.
The five nominated writers for the Nero New Writers Prize represent the best of unpublished talent in the UK and Ireland and were praised by the judges for their depth, insight and empathy.
Separately, the first ever Brunel Prize was won by Rowan Reddington, who graduated with a BA in Creative Writing at Brunel last year.
Launched in 2025 to run alongside the prestigious and highly successful Nero Book Awards, the Nero New Writers Prize in association with Brunel University of London seeks to discover the writing stars of the future and support their development. Entrants were asked to submit a previously unpublished short story (fiction or narrative non-fiction) of up to 5,000 words, which could be written for children or adult audiences. New for 2026 is the Brunel Prize, an award dedicated solely to students who are currently studying at or have graduated from Brunel in the last two years – in recognition of the University’s excellence in creative writing. Both awards share the same criteria for outstanding short stories from unpublished writers.
The response to this year’s call-out was emphatic: over 800 eligible entries were submitted by emerging writers over the summer. The judging panel – comprising 2023 Nero Gold Prize winner Paul Murray (Chair), Booker Prize winner, former Nero Book Awards judge and Professor of Creative
Writing at Brunel, Bernardine Evaristo, and Helen Cullen, Reader in Creative Writing at Brunel – selected five stories which stood above the competition for their remarkable quality.
The Nero New Writers Prize in association with Brunel University of London shortlist
- Conamar by Harriet Bradley: An adult daughter working as a nurse in England returns to the west of Ireland with her siblings to bury their mother. Old tensions resurface as ghosts from the past – real and imagined – linger. The judges described Bradley’s story as ‘emotionally impactive’ and ‘suspenseful’.
- The 10:52 From Edinburgh to London by Saadiya Chaudary Alam: As she travels by train from Edinburgh to London with her granddaughter, an elderly woman reflects on the journeys that have bookmarked the chapters of her life. Born into a Muslim family in Northern India Pre-Partition, hers is a story of great loss, upheaval, and second chances – all of which she has hidden from her family. Only her husband knows the truth. The judges described the story as ‘evocative’ and praised Chaudary Alam’s ‘excellent storytelling skills’.
- The Column by Eleanor James: Exhausted mother and wife Margot runs a successful anonymous column, chronicling her daily struggles parenting teenagers, dealing with her husband and caring for her dying mother. As the column grows in popularity and the nation clamors to know more about its mysterious author, Margot battles with whether to reveal her identity. The judges described James’s story as ‘beautifully written’, ‘original’ and ‘unpredictable.’
- Jesus Finch by Tom Milner: The enigmatic ‘Jesus’ Finch is a legend within Birmingham’s homeless community. Preacher, oddball and regular police target, he keeps to himself. Until one day, when the narrator helps Jesus reconnect with an old flame and discovers he may or may not have once been in a relationship with a pop star. The judges described Jesus Finch as ‘an electric story full of narrative propulsion, energy and strong characterisation’.
- Holding On by Donagh O'Malley: A successful artist living in New York visits his parents in Ireland for what may be the last time, following an HIV diagnosis. Without a cure in sight, will his parents rise to care for their ailing son, or yield to stigma? The judges described Holding On as ‘sensitive and soulful’ and ‘poignant’.
Each of the five authors will receive £1,000 and go on to compete to win the Nero New Writers Prize, which will be announced at a ceremony at Brunel on Wednesday 18th November. The winner will receive a total cash prize of £3,000, a scholarship to study for an MA in Creative Writing at Brunel and an introductory meeting with a literary agent.
The Brunel Prize winner
The inaugural winner of the Brunel Prize is Rowan Reddington, who graduated with a BA in Creative Writing at Brunel in 2025 with First Class Honours. Chosen by chair of judges Paul Murray, Rowan’s story, Things I Learn from Trees, chronicles a day in the life of a tree surgeon, as he travels from job to job with the other men who make up the crew. Tragedy and frivolity converge, and amidst the jesting and jibes, it is clear that not everything can be shared openly among colleagues. Murray described the story as ‘poetic, compassionate, full of humour and wisdom.’ For his win, Rowan will receive a cash prize of £1,000 plus a scholarship for an MA in Creative Writing at Brunel.
Chair of judges Paul Murray, previous Nero Gold Prize winner, said: “We were deeply impressed to discover work of such depth and achievement from individuals at the start of their writing careers. The five stories shortlisted for the Nero New Writers Prize – four fiction, one drawn from real life – are full of insight, empathy, and a deep desire to connect. They tackle love and loneliness, family and war – themes that are age-old and also utterly contemporary. At a time when reading is under attack from many sides, it’s uplifting to meet new writers with so much passion for their art, writing about our world with honesty and courage.
“Things I Learn from Trees by Rowan Reddington, winner of the Brunel Prize, depicts a day in the life of an arborist as he makes his way around drought-blasted London. Poetic, compassionate, full of humour and wisdom, Reddington’s story glisters with vivid details of both of the tree surgeon crew and the ailing trees they encounter. A love letter to the city and to the embattled natural world, and a portrait of man drawing on all his resources of art and empathy to get through a heatwave, this story introduces a writer of huge talent. I can’t wait to read what he writes next.”
Gerry Ford, Founder and CEO, Caffè Nero, added: “We launched the Nero Book Awards in 2023 to continue Caffè Nero’s long-standing commitment to the arts, seeking the best writing from authors across the UK and Ireland. The Nero New Writers Prize reinforces this goal, going one step further to seek out and support the future stars of the writing world. The stories chosen by our judges represent the very best in emerging talent and I will look forward with interest to see what these brilliant writers go on to achieve.”
Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor and President, Brunel University of London, added: “A love of literature is at the very heart of our cultural life at Brunel University of London. Our partnership with Caffè Nero was formed with an uncomplicated but incredibly meaningful aim: to celebrate the craft of great writing and the joy of reading. With the Nero New Writers Prize we are delighted to build on the work of our creative writing department to support even more aspiring writers across the UK and Ireland in achieving their dreams. On behalf of everyone at Brunel, I extend our sincere congratulations to all of the shortlisted writers who have produced such excellent work. We would also like to especially commend Rowan Reddington on his incredible achievement of winning the inaugural Brunel Prize. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Brunel for a fantastic celebration in November at the Award ceremony, and to supporting these talented writers in their onward writing careers.”
The Nero Book Awards are a leading literary prize in the UK and Ireland with previous winners of the coveted Nero Gold Prize including The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst and A Family Matter by Claire Lynch. The Nero New Writers Prize and Nero Book Awards are part of the family-owned coffee house group’s long-standing programme to sponsor and encourage the arts and culture in its coffee houses and communities where it operates.
For more information about the Nero New Writers Prize in association with Brunel University of London, visit www.nerobookawards.com.
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