Faber Launches Action! Prize to Encourage Young Readers

Independent publishing house Faber announces the launch of the Action! Prize, in direct response to research from the National Literacy Trust that reveals children’s reading enjoyment is at its lowest level in almost two decades, and that the problem is most acute for boys.

‘We are all alarmed at the falling number of children reading for pleasure, especially when it comes to boys; it is clear they are not finding enough of what they need on the shelve,” said Leah Thaxon, Publisher at Faber. “I’m keen we offer a much wider range of instantly appealing, action-packed stories that will compete with the adrenaline rush of gaming and screens. We know books are vital to children’s development, so this prize is a call-out for high octane, filmic, thrilling fiction that will get children hooked (back) into books.’

The prize will be launched in conjunction with literary manager and film/TV producer Eddie Gamarra, who will be judging the prize alongside Kieran Larwood, author of the World of Podkin One-Ear series, and with the support of EmpathyLab, the U.K.’s only charity focused on building children’s empathy through high-quality literature.

“This generation of boys face so many issues, including toxic masculinity, where an empathy education would help,” noted Miranda McKearney, OBE, founder of EmpathyLab. “Scientific research shows that empathy is learnable, and that books are a powerful tool to build it. So this Faber prize is a really welcome, practical initiative. Over time it will be a pipeline for author events from male authors, acting as inspiring empathy role models. Right now, our world has never needed empathy more.”

The Action! Prize, now open to agented and unagented writers in the U.K., Ireland and U.S., calls for fast-paced and filmic, action-packed adventure stories, and offers a publishing contract to the three winners. Entries to the prize need to feature a diverse cast of fully rounded characters in any one of these four age bands: 7–9, 9–11, 12–14, 14+.

“As an executive producer on The Maze Runner trilogy and of Jerry Spinelli’s iconic YA love story Stargirl, I have long been a champion for cinematic stories overflowing with heroics, heart and humor,” said Gamarra. “As a studio executive at Nickelodeon, I’ve seen so many disheartening reports about the drop off in reading, especially for boys. I laud Thaxton’s bold initiative to foreground propulsive, kinetic storytelling in order to foster the next generation of life-long lovers of literature, and am proud to be co-founder of this inaugural event.”

Entry Criteria:

• Fiction only.
• For readers in one of these four age bands 7–9, 9–11, 12–14, 14+.
• Comprising: The first 5,000 words and a full synopsis of the novel in 500 words maximum.
• The winning entries will be fast-paced and filmic, nail-biting, high-octane adventure, action-packed and full of heart, and may feature mortal danger and/or daft humour!
• The prize is open to fiction and graphic novel submissions only, not nonfiction.

Prizes:

• FIRST PRIZE – A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £12,000 advance (subject to contract)
• SECOND PRIZE: A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £9,000 advance (subject to contract)
• THIRD PRIZE: A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £6,000 advance (subject to contract)

Entries for Action! Prize are now open, the deadline to submit is January 30, 2025. The winners will be announced on April 30, 2025. See complete terms of the contest at faber.co.uk.