Christie J Newport wins first Joffe Books Prize for Crime Writers of Colour

Congratulations to crime author Christie Newport, who has won the inaugural Joffe Books Prize for Crime Writers of Colour. She has won a two-book contract with Joffe Books for her debut crime series, which follows Detective Beth Fellows, with the first book to be published in autumn 2022.

The competition aims to champion authors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, who are particularly underrepresented in crime fiction publishing, and the judges were unanimous in their decision.

“Christie has written an enormously promising, immediately immersive police procedural with a fantastically hooky opening scene followed by twist after twist. This novel has excellent series potential, and we can see readers eagerly devouring the pages,” the judges said.

Newport said of her win: “Receiving the phone call to tell me I had won was unbelievable. It was akin to winning the lottery. Dorothy Koomson is an inspiration, her enjoying my writing is incredible.”

Editor Emma Grundy Haigh added: “I am absolutely delighted by the response to the prize, and especially to have been joined by Dorothy Koomson and Susan Yearwood. Both were extraordinarily generous in their time and insights, and the judging process benefited hugely from their involvement. Although the competition was fierce, Christie’s entry stood out right from the start. From the explosive opening scene to the arresting finale, this gripping debut promises great things. I am thrilled to now welcome Christie to the Joffe Books family.”