The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for the best debut novel written in English and published in the UK.
The prize is named in honour of the distinguished late publisher and literary agent, Desmond Elliott.
[citation needed] After the successful launch of the prize, the trustees decided to make it an annual award.
He is joined by Christine Berry, a partner in the charities group at Taylor Vinters, a Cambridge-based law firm, and Liz Thomson, an arts journalist and author.
When selecting a winner, the judges look for a novel with a compelling narrative, arresting character, and which is both vividly written and confidently realised.