Castleblayney writer wins for debut novel

The competition has been dubbed the 'Dragon’s Den for writers'

A CASTLEBLAYNEY writer has just been announced as one of the winners in an international debut writing competition.

The former GP’s work attracted the attention of The Irish Writers Centre from a large international field of aspiring novelists from 37 countries and now Stephanie has won the opportunity to pitch her manuscript directly to top publishers.

The Centre said Stephanie’s work of fiction was chosen for how it “confronts addiction, poverty and resilience with warmth and wit.”

Her work has also been recognised by the BBC, RTÉ and IAMINPRINT

The Co Monaghan-born doctor and writer said she was “stunned” to receive a call informing her of her win.

Now, Stephanie joins 11 other debut novelists for the Irish Writers Centre’s exclusive “pitch days”

Originally launched as Novel Fair in 2011, the competition was dubbed “a Dragon’s Den for writers” by the media for its bold approach in bringing unpublished voices directly before publishers and agents.

Since then, dozens of winners have gone on to sign publishing deals, win awards and build sustainable careers in literature. I

This year, the competition was reimagined as the International Debut Novel Competition to reflect its global ambition and impact.

READ: This week’s Anglo-Celt will feature an interview with Stephanie O’Reilly when we will learn more about her writing technique, the plot of her debut novel and find out how the exclusive pitch day went.