UNDISCOVERED VOICES Meet the Judges

 

Undiscovered Voices 2026 entries open soon! Maggie Womersley catches up with all the latest UV news and talks to some of the key people involved.

 

Meet the Judges and Other Undiscovered Voices news

 

Undiscovered Voices 2026 opens for entries on the 3rd July 2025, but the excitement kicks off next month with a free online launch, featuring special guests Chris Snowdon from sponsor Working Partners, SCBWI’s very own Natascha Biebow, and of course the people you’ll be trying to impress with your entry – the judges. 

 

It’s been a busy few weeks for the UV26 committee as we get ready to launch the next round of the competition. There’s a new Bluesky account (follow us @uvcompetition.bsky.social), a revamped website, and a fantastic interview with the competition’s honorary chair - writer and illustrator Louie Stowell - by fellow author Adam Connors. Check out their chat on the UV website – it’s a really inspiring read.

 

Last month we were proud to announce our esteemed panel of judges, and we’re extremely grateful to them for giving their time and lending their expert insight to UV. You can meet them in person at the LIVE LAUNCH on 22nd May at 7.30pm.

 

 

Undiscovered Voices 2026 Judges

 

Becky Bagnell - Literary agent at Lindsay Literary Agency

 

Julia Churchill - Literary agent at A M Heath

 

Saskia Leach – Junior literary agent at Kate Nash Literary Agency

 

Tierney Holm - Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster UK

 

Frances Taffinder – Commissioning Editor at Walker Books

 

Charlie Selvaggi-Castelletti – Editor at MacMillan Children’s Books

 

“The Undiscovered Voices anthology is how I came to discover two of my wonderful authors,” Saskia Leach enthused when we chatted about the competition recently. “Every year I am so impressed with the quality of the writing on display in the UV anthology, so I jumped at the chance to get involved on a deeper level as one of the judges.” 

Fellow judge Becky Bagnell agrees, “What I really like about Undiscovered Voices is the depth and range of talent the anthology attracts - there’s always something for everyone.” Becky highlights one of the best aspects of the competition – that there isn’t one overall winner, as up to sixteen authors are selected for inclusion in the anthology. That means Chapter Books, Middle Grade and YA stories all have room to breathe and to find their champions when the book is sent out to agents and editors.

 

Sara Grant, who co-launched the competition twenty years ago is still it’s biggest supporter and greatest inspiration. “Undiscovered Voices has succeeded beyond our wildest expectations and the nine previous anthologies have launched the writing careers of more than a hundred authors. But ultimately, its success is thanks to not only the abundance of talented writers taking part, but also the generous sponsorship of Working Partners, and the team of dedicated volunteers who make it happen.”

 

In the run-up to the competition, UV and SCBWI will be offering three online masterclasses designed to help authors get the first 2,500 words, of their novel, the 250 word synopsis, and 35 word pitch line into the best shape possible. First up will be former journalist and author, Sheila Averbuch, who’ll be demonstrating how to write a killer pitch that will make your book stand out from the crowd. The following week, Sara Grant will tackle the editing of those all-important first pages. She’ll also be sharing tips, tricks and advice from her upcoming book -- The Ultimate Guide to Editing Your Novel.

 

And finally, in the third masterclass we’ll hear from five UV alumni who have gone on to enjoy critical and commercial success after taking part in UV; A J Clack, Adam Connors, Sue Cunningham, Simon James Green, and Serena Patel. They’ll be telling us how Undiscovered Voices launched their careers, and where their writing has taken them since. “Undiscovered Voices is like a golden ticket out of the slushpile!” Adam says. “I think I was about a year away from feeling ready to go out on submission, but I became an Undiscovered Voices finalist and, almost overnight I had agents calling me!”

 

Writing and trying to write can be an isolating experience, and sending your work to agents is always daunting. That’s why the SCBWI community is so important in supporting writers at all stages of their careers. As SCBWI’s Co-Regional Adviser, Natascha Biebow says, “Every author has an individual journey and we aim to celebrate each and every one of them through all their highs and lows. The UV programme aims to provide mentoring and support.” Adam agrees, “Writing stories is a strange thing to want to do, and publishing is an appropriately strange industry, so there’s a lot to be learned from hearing about the journey other writers are on.”

 

I’d like to leave the final word to Becky Bagnell, who has some great advice for anyone thinking of entering Undiscovered Voices: “Write from the heart, be brave and true to your own experience and that honesty will shine through in the writing. It’s not about comparing yourself to others, but following your own unique path.” We couldn’t agree more.

 

Undiscovered Voices is open to all SCBWI members in the UK and Europe. Non-SCBWI members who would otherwise be unable to afford to take part in the competition, and who identify as being from diverse backgrounds traditionally under-represented in publishing, are invited to apply for a limited number of free places. Find out more at www.undiscoveredvoices.com. The online launch is free to attend, the series of three masterclasses costs £30 for SCBWI members, and £40 for non-members.

 

 

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