McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize
Each year, The Writer’s Center awards $3,000 to the author of an exceptional first novel published in the previous calendar year. Conceived and funded by former board member Neal P. Gillen, the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize honors three dedicated writers and members of The Writer’s Center faculty—the late Ann McLaughlin, Barbara Esstman, and Lynn Stearns—each of whom have nourished and inspired students and fellow writers.
Previous winners: Robert L. Shuster for To Zenzi (2022 prize), Sion Dayson for As a River (2021 prize), Jasmine Darznik for Song of a Captive Bird (2019), Kayla Rae Whitaker for The Animators (2018), Sheila Martin for The Coney Island Book of the Dead (2017), Nadine Darling for She Came From Beyond! (2016), Bret Anthony Johnston for Remember Me Like This (2015), Raoul Wientzen for The Assembler of Parts (2014), Karen Thompson for Walker for The Age of Miracles (2013), Ismet Prcic for Shards (2012) Heidi Durrow for The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (2011). (No prize was awarded in 2020)
1) All first novels published in print in 2023 are eligible, including those published by major and independent presses. Only authors living in the United States and publishing in English are eligible. Non-eligible books include: short story collections, flash fiction, memoirs, biographies, self-published books, books from hybrid presses, and books published solely in electronic format.
2) Publishers (or authors) must submit three copies of their published novel along with a contact cover sheet indicating name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (no cover letter required). No galley proofs will be accepted. Additionally, we encourage PDFs of the manuscript to be emailed to zach.powers@writer.org. Hardcopies are required even if a PDF is submitted.
3) Following the judging process, books will not be returned. The Writer’s Center staff, board, and workshop leaders may not enter.
All submissions must be received at the Center by June 30, 2024.
The Writer’s Center solicits a group of 15-20 volunteer judges to serve as first and second-round judges. These volunteers will evaluate books to determine if they meet eligibility requirements, and they will read and evaluate the submissions. Submissions advancing to the third round of judging will be evaluated by a team of three final judges. The winner is chosen at the sole discretion of the final judges.
The winner will receive $3,000 and will be featured in The Writer’s Center Magazine, online, and at a reading and reception, if feasible.
Send entries to:
The Writer’s Center
Re: First Novel Prize
4508 Walsh St.
Bethesda MD 20815
If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please email info@writer.org
Congratulations to Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures and winner of the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize!
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, was published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.
About the Novel
For fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago.
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.
As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope–a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
From our final judges
The judges of the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize have unanimously chosen Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt as the 2023 winner. The story tracks the growing friendship between Tova, a widow who has never gotten over the disappearance of her son 30 years before, and Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who escapes his tank often and narrates parts of the book.
Once the judges got over the surprise of a talking octopus, they were impressed by the quality of the prose; the tight overall structure; the trueness of emotion; and the originality of concept. Marcellus is a great fantasy character in the tradition of ET, and his attempts to aid Tova in her grief are moving.
After selecting Remarkably Bright Creatures, the judges were thrilled to learn that Shelby Van Pelt began writing, not to publish, but to learn the craft of fiction writing. That her efforts resulted in such a well-written novel should be an inspiration to all beginner writers…and the more experienced, too.