Undiscovered Voices 2024 – Twelve Months Later

 

 

Maggie Womersley recaps on an amazing year for the UV24 finalists. Plus, find out how you can be a finalist for 2026.

 

Exactly a year ago, on a wet and windy February evening, sixteen un-agented writers of Children’s and YA literature, stepped out of their comfort zones and into the glimmering splendour of an exclusive members’ club in Mayfair. The sixteen writers had come from the four corners of the UK (and from even further afield in one case), and they weren’t just worrying about whether their breath was minty enough or their shoes the right kind of shiny, they were daring to hope that the next couple of hours might turn their dreams of becoming a published author, into a reality.

 

“I got a Laura Ashley ballgown from eBay and pretended to myself that it was my party and these important industry people were very lucky to have snagged an exclusive invite.” Reminisces Jo, one of the Undiscovered Voices finalists of 2024, “I don’t know if that was the right attitude from a career perspective, but I certainly had a brilliant night.”

 

The launch party for the Undiscovered Voices anthology is always a special night – and in a world where so much of the contact between new writers and the world of publishing happens online, it’s a unique opportunity for writers to meet industry professionals in person, to chat about their books, and make important contacts.

 

Of course, it’s also a chance for the finalists to celebrate and to support each other. “I loved getting together with everyone at the party, although it was nerve-wracking meeting the agents and editors, I felt better knowing the rest of my cohort was in the room, doing the same thing,” says Lizzie.

 

The Workshop

Being in the UV ‘gang’ had actually started six weeks earlier, with a full day’s workshop on ‘Getting Discovered’ held at the offices of Working Partners, the generous sponsors of UV. Previous UV finalists took time out to come along and share their experiences of pitching, querying and what might happen next for us – if our extracts in the anthology attracted interest from agents.



The anthology, which we were now literally holding in our hands, would be sent out as an E-book to over 150 agents and editors the following week. We were all nervous and excited about how to react if anyone got in touch as a result of reading our extracts.



The workshop was also a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and to appreciate that we were all at very different stages with our work; while some of us had been in the querying trenches for a couple of years, others were just starting out with a rough draft of their first ever attempt at a book. However, one thing was true of everyone: we all needed that all-important boost to our self-confidence, and that’s exactly what the UV committee were there to provide.

 

“The workshop day was incredible, the people leading it had all been through the UV process themselves. They spoke to us as peers, which made me feel like a proper writer for the first time, like I was being taken seriously,” says Stephen. “Suddenly we had this whole team of incredibly generous and experienced people to go to for advice,” agrees Louise.

 

As well as the in-person workshop, each finalist was assigned an author mentor they could meet via a Zoom call to discuss any aspect of the Undiscovered Voices process – from how to distil their book into a catchy one-line pitch, to how to ‘know’ when an agent was right for them. There was also the opportunity to discuss how to deal with knockbacks when they came, and we were warned that the next few weeks could feel a bit like an emotional rollercoaster at times.

 

Perhaps unique among writing competitions, the beauty of Undiscovered Voices is that every finalist who makes it into the anthology is a winner, and that fosters a real sense of community. We all arrived as strangers to that first workshop, but over the last twelve months we’ve grown into a valuable support network for each other; sharing tips and news in a WhatsApp group. Bonding didn’t happen overnight though – it’s taken time to get to know each other properly - just like a great book takes time to get right. We’ve had to learn how to support each other’s disappointments along with the successes, and to appreciate that not everyone’s journey to publication will be the same. Ultimately though, we all believe we’re stronger together, and as one finalist put it – a rising tide lifts all boats.

 

The UV "Effect"

For some of the UV 24 finalists, success came swiftly in the weeks after the party – with one finalist describing what happened next for them as ‘life-changing’, and another as ‘a whirlwind’.
Yes, some writers have since signed with agents, and yes – very excitingly – some of the extracts you can read on the UV website - will become actual books in the months ahead, but for most, the UV ‘effect’ is a slower burn.

 


Ultimately though, the following is 100% true –when you tell agents and editors that your book was a UV finalist they are genuinely interested, the UV process teaches you so much about the publishing industry, and above all – and for me, the best thing – you realise, perhaps for the first time, that your writing has real potential. Winning a competition like UV is that massive boost to our fragile writing egos that we all need to carry on, to get better and to keep trying.



I’ll leave the final words to some of last year’s cohort. To find out how you can enter UV 26, visit the UV website here - undiscoveredvoices.com The next round will launch in May 2025

 

“My advice for anyone reading this is – no matter how rational your objections – do enter. Humans are persistence predators – the only way we ever catch anything is through grim determination and perseverance.” - Henry

 

“DO IT! It really does open doors. When you say you’re a UV finalist agents and editors definitely sit up and take notice.” - Jo

 

“I’m so proud to be there in that anthology, and so grateful to the judges and committee for including me.” - Lizzie

 

“UV has spurred me on to think of myself as a professional rather than a hobbyist. It’s given me the tools to believe in my potential and to put my work out there.” - Sarah

 

“Going on the UV journey provides hands-on experience that is hard to find anywhere else. I’m now in a much better position to decide whether this industry is right for me.” - Priyesh

 

“Having the advice and support of people who’ve been in our shoes has been invaluable” - Louise

 

“Since being included in the UV anthology my whole life has changed.” - Louise

 

“Most of all UV has been a boost to my confidence – as well as the resulting interest from agents it has made me excited to keep on improving my writing and sharpened my ambition to reach the level of writing of the authors I admire.” - Lizzie

 

The UV 24 cohort would like to express their sincere thanks to the UV committee led by Imogen White and Laura Warminger, to the competition’s sponsors at Working Partners and to our friends at All Stories and Megaphone, to Sara Grant and all at SCBWI-BI. 

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In 2024 Maggie won The Cheshire Novel Prize for Kids and was a SCBWI Undiscovered Voices finalist. She was also shortlisted for The Times/Chicken House Prize and longlisted for the MsLexia Kids Novel Prize and the Bath Kids Novel Prize. She also got absolutely nowhere in quite a few other prizes, proving you can’t win ‘em all. She is Deputy Chair of the Committee for Undiscovered Voices 2026 which will launch later this Spring. For more information on how Undiscovered Voices could launch your writing career –visit www.undiscoveredvoices.com