What a night at the Palm House last week.
Nearly 100 guests joined Writing on the Wall to celebrate the launch of Pulp Idol – Firsts 2025, our latest anthology championing bold new writing from working-class and underrepresented voices across the Liverpool City Region — and to preview WoWFEST26: New World Disorder.
For over a decade, Pulp Idol has been a vital platform for emerging writers, helping bring new stories to publishers, agents and readers. This year’s anthology showcases exceptional first chapters from a powerful new generation of storytellers — compelling openings that leave you eager to read the novels in full.
The evening featured outstanding readings from winner Amber-Page Moss and runners-up Sue Hooton and Sarah Hinks, alongside reflections from several of this year’s finalists on the journey of writing, building confidence and finding their voice.
The anthology features work by Evita Akomode, Oliver Back, Julia Clayton, Eleanor Hall, Dan Melling, Stephanie Power, Dawn Reeves, Karen Sephton and Angela Zhu, whose powerful opening chapters mark them as exciting new voices to watch.
Firsts 2025 continues Pulp Idol’s proud legacy of launching writers towards publication and literary success — and of creating space for new stories, new writers and new audiences.
The night also built anticipation for WoWFEST26, which will feature Colm Tóibín, Joelle Taylor, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Rebecca Solnit and many more this May.
Thank you to everyone who joined us — and to our supporters and partners who make this work possible.
Writing on the Wall are grateful to the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society for their generous grant that has supported our Pulp Idol novel-writing competition and the publication of this book. We would encourage all writers to consider joining them and supporting their vital work. You can find out more details at www.alcs.co.uk
ALCS is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity; ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal for writers. It represents over 130,000 members, and since 1977 has paid over £750 million to writers.
Find out more about WoWFEST26 here:
👉 https://writingonthewall.org.uk/wowfest-26/
