Announcing the 2022 Discoveries winner!

The Women’s Prize Trust is beyond thrilled to announce the WINNER of Discoveries 2022, powered by Audible, Curtis Brown and the Curtis Brown Creative writing school, which aims to find untapped female writing talent from across the UK and Ireland. 

Sui Annukka was chosen by this year’s panel of judges from over 2,500 entries, capturing their attention with her thrilling novel-in-progress Thursday, which tells the story of three characters whose lives collide as they all seek to escape desperate circumstances on the same momentous day. 

Sui has accepted an offer of representation from Jess Molloy at Curtis Brown literary agency, and, as the winner of the programme, Sui also receives a cash prize of £5,000, plus the opportunity to workshop her manuscript with an Audible editor matched to her writing style.

Sui Annukka grew up between London and Colombo, Sri Lanka, and studied drama at the University of Bristol. She left her career in film art direction to focus on her writing and has had poetry and short fiction published in multiple anthologies. She now lives in London where she works as a Teaching Assistant in a high school.

Kate Mosse, Chair of Discoveries Judging Panel, said: “The judging panel was delighted by this original, intriguing and engaging novel. Strong and distinctive female characters, a strong sense of place with the tension of a thriller and the charm of a coming-of-age story, we cannot wait to read more. Huge congratulations to Sui Annukka.”

One promising writer from the shortlist of six was also named the Discoveries Scholar: Nikki Logan has received a scholarship place to attend a three-month Writing Your Novel course with Curtis Brown Creative, where she will work further on her novel The Last Card in the Suit, inspired by her grandfather’s experience of life as a British West Indian in 1940s Jamaica and Deep South USA. Nikki will receive mentoring from an acclaimed author and the opportunity to connect with agents and publishers. 

Nikki said: “I was shocked to have even made the longlist, so to have been shortlisted and now named the Discoveries Scholar feels like a lot to take in. The support that comes with this will be invaluable. It’s the start of something very exciting and an achievement I will be proud of forever.”

We’re thrilled for Sui and Nikki and can’t wait to see their writing careers take flight! All sixteen writers who made the longlist will study on a special two-week writing development course in July, designed and run by Curtis Brown Creative, and to be taught by Charlotte Mendelson, herself a longlisted author for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. 

Discoveries 2023 will call for entries in September. If you’re a budding writer and feeling inspired by Sui and Nikki, we have a Writers Toolkit brimming with writing tips and prompts to spark your creativity.