For seventeen years the Pulp Idol competition has uncovered the best new novelists the city of Liverpool has to offer.
Many new novelists, including Ashleigh Nugent (LOCKS), Ariel Kahn (Raising Sparks), James Rice (Alice and the Fly, Walk), Clare Coombes (Definitions), Natalie Denny (Keisha Jones Takes On The World) and Philippa Holloway (The Half Life of Snails), have found their first success through Pulp Idol. This competition is unearthing the best new novelists from Liverpool and across the country.
All finalists get their first chapter published in a book of ‘Firsts,’ which is produced in hard copy, a digital manuscript and made available on Amazon Kindle (and free on Kindle Unlimited!). Copies of Pulp Idol – Firsts are sent to agents and publishers.
If you have any questions about Pulp Idol, please email our Publishing Coordinator Jenny Dalton at jenny@writingonthewall.org.uk
Read the Rules and Eligibility Here!
Apply for Pulp Idol 2025!
Pulp Idol is different to most novel writing competitions. In most competitions, you submit your work and then find out if you win. Pulp Idol gets you in the room with other writers, agents and publishers from day one and our goal is to help you forge connections for your future career in writing and embrace your local writing community.
Stage One: The Heats
In the heats, entrants will be given three minutes to read from their opening chapter and answer questions from two judges. At the end of each heat, the judges will pick up to two winners to go ahead into the Grand Final! This years heats will take place between 25th-30th November 2024.
Stage Two: The Grand Final
In the Grand Final, all our heat winners will read from their first chapter to a new panel of judges which will include publishers and agents, who will announce our 2025 Pulp Idol Champion and runners-up. All finalists will be published in the anthology Pulp Idol – Firsts 2025. The final will take place in January 2025.
Stage Three: Editing
After the Grand Final, each finalist will be paired with an editor, a professional writer or agent, to fine tune their first chapter into the best it can be. They will then submit the edited version of their chapter to the anthology for it to be published!
Stage Four: The Anthology
In WoWFEST2025, our 25th Annual Festival, we will be launching the Pulp Idol Firsts 2025 anthology in May 2025. This book launch will be the finalists first chance to see their book and celebrate their success with fellow writers, as well as industry professionals, Pulp Idol alumni, agents, publishers and more!
Why YOU should apply for Pulp Idol 2023 – With Philippa Holloway
Why YOU should apply to Pulp Idol 2023 – With Melissa Grindon
“Entering Pulp Idol was the most important decision I’ve made on my writing journey. It changed me as a writer, giving me newfound confidence, inspiration, and introduced me to the Writing on the Wall community of industry professionals and fellow writers.
If you’re an aspiring author looking for expert feedback on your work and the chance to build a network, the best thing you could do is enter Pulp Idol. It changed everything for me.” – Kevin Chadwick, Pulp Idol 2025 Champion
Kevin Chadwick – My Next Life
Kevin Chadwick is a fifty-year-old office worker who lives in Birkenhead. Other than five years in London in 1990’s, he has always lived in Merseyside, working in factories and kitchens. My Next Life was inspired by the struggles Kevin has had with depression and anxiety in his twenties, and the colourful characters he knew.
My Next Life
Neurotic dreamer Matt (25) enters court to provide a false alibi for a layabout friend Bob who has stolen an antique travel trunk for him. Matt adopts the persona of a rich businessman believing it will add weight to his testimony. This is how Matt negotiates life, hiding behind a series of outlandish masks. During the cross examination, Matt is more interested in his performance and future success than the legal and moral implications of lying under oath. Matt leaves court unaware a train of events has started that will lead first to his life unravelling then to a life-changing epiphany.
“Pulp Idol has connected me with a vibrant literary community, introducing me to renowned authors, agents, and industry professionals. As my network expands, so does my craft, with tailored workshops and mentoring sessions to enhance my skills. If you’re an aspiring writer seeking to unveil your voice to the world, I highly recommend entering Pulp Idol. ” – Addae Gaskin, winner of Pulp Idol 2023
‘This competition continues to discover and showcase the very best emerging talent from the area, and to nurture and encourage diverse voices. This year’s finalists are proof of the amazing voices waiting to be heard by a wider audience.’ – Philippa Holloway, 2023 Grand Final Judge, Author, and Lecturer
‘Pulp Idol finds amazing writing talent and kickstarts careers for writers from all backgrounds. This is such an exciting collection that literary agents, publishers, and readers will love.’ – Clare Coombes, 2023 Grand Final Judge, Author, and Founder of the Liverpool Literary Agency
Addae G – Long Time Band
Meet Addae G, the multi-talented writer, playwright, carnival artiste, and dancer who is taking the literary world by storm! Born and raised in Trinidad, Addae’s passion for the arts was ingrained in him from a young age. Growing up, he was inspired by the vibrant energy of Trinidad’s carnival culture and honed his skills as a dancer and carnival artiste, participating in numerous masquerade bands and theatrical productions. It’s this passion for the arts that has driven Addae to pursue a career as a writer and playwright. His work is heavily influenced by Caribbean heritage and the rich cultural tapestry of Trinidad, infused with the dynamic rhythms of calypso and the bold hues of the island’s vibrant Carnival traditions. With lyrical style that’s both evocative and captivating, Addae’s writing transports readers into a world where imagination reigns supreme, and where anything is possible. He invites us to join him on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, encouraging us to embrace our roots, and to celebrate the diversity that makes us all unique. So, if you’re looking for a literary experience that’s full of heart, soul, and vibrant energy, look no further than Addae G – the Carnival King of Words!
Long Time Band
When Bacchanalia, the ancient and powerful deity-muse of Carnival, seeks a host, Little-Man becomes the chosen vessel of her divine energy. As he confronts the challenges and dangers of the ‘new reality,’ Little-Man must also grapple with the demons of the past and the weight of expectations landed on his shoulders as he leads a missions with fierce determination. Get swept through the intoxicatingly vibrant and pulsating streets of East Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago in this afro-futuristic piece.
“Pulp Idol continues to find and work with some of the finest new voices around and in this years anthology, they have published some of the best.”
– Kevin Duffy, Judge and Co-Founder of Bluemoose Books
“Congratulations to all of the finalists! What a competition. Each piece is a celebration in its own right. Together this is an exciting collection, a promise of what is to come. Personally, I can’t wait to read where your stories take you.”
– Yvonne Battle-Felton, Judge and Author (Remembered, Blackstone 2021)
For agents, publishers and anyone interested in contacting past Pulp Idol writers, please email: jenny@writingonthewall.org.uk
Featuring winners Kim Wiltshire (2019), Natalie Denny (2018), Lewis Jennings (2017), Andy Billinge (2016), Em Coombes, Louise Muddle, Roisin O’Grady, Chris Radcliffe, Duncan Ross, Peter Swindells and Magaly Tawakoni.
To buy previous editions, click these links: 2018, 2019, 2020.
Older editions are still available, to arrange for a specific edition please email jenny@writingonthewall.org.uk