Reimbursing dreams since 2022
About
Our site will showcase each year's top 3 novelists; the winner receiving a cash prize of £2500, with £1200 for second and £600 for third place. Our website will also feature the 12 shortlisted candidates and their work, and each of the 12 can opt to receive constructive feedback from one of our judges. Our guest judge this year is award-winning author Christine Amsden; our other 11 judges work freelance for the CFA.
If you are a self-published or unpublished author who would like to compete for our award, please email the first 10,000 words of your manuscript, along with a single page synopsis, to the address below. All novels entered for the prize must be at least 50,000 words; we shall request full manuscripts from the shortlisted 12. Entry is a mere £6 to help cover prize costs, plus we will never spam you with adverts for writing courses, proof readers, copy editors, 1-on-1 tutorials, marketing videos, secret recipes for perfect sausage sandwiches or luxury timeshares on the moon. Chimera is about sponsoring indie talent - we won't reap dubious profits from the fields of your dreams.
Closing date for 2022 entries: 1st December.
Shortlist announced: 21st December.
Winners announced: 30th January.
Congratulations to all our entrants, our shortlist and our winners. We had over 100 submissions in total, and the general standard was extremely high. We hope to return with another contest, commencing in August 2023, so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who supported our writers; you are all amazing!
SUBMISSIONS AND QUERIES
- Submissions
The 2022 contest is now closed for submissions.
GUEST JUDGE
Christine Amsden
Guest Judge
Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series. Her most recent publication, "Please Stop Murdering Grandma," is available at Daily Science Fiction. In addition to writing, she is a freelance editor and political activist. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.
2022 Winners
A Deeper Rift in Time by S D Ballentyne
First Place
An ancient artefact rewinds Kaira to 2016, before her cheating husband and Britain went to the dogs. Can she forgive Josh for what he hasn't yet done? Will future knowledge scam her money, save her marriage, and ignite a literary career, or spiral her into madness? Coping with younger versions of her friends proves a challenge, and then her husband’s future lover enters their lives several years early. Kaira soon realises she can indeed change the past, but will the changes she makes be for the better?
Evanescent Sunrise by Lauri Lane
Second Place
After centuries of religious wars, Lymara’s oligarchy chose to ban all forms of religious expression from public and private life. Later, the study of philosophy and literature were criminalized due to their tendency to promote subversive behaviour. Living in a world where machines do most of the thinking, Saanvi discovers a secret society that meets weekly to read and discuss ancient books; fragments of the past that were salvaged and passed on from generation to generation. But when their secrecy is compromised by government agents, Saanvi must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether her beliefs are worth dying for.
Toothless Dragon by Zanda Carter
Third Place
Dragons aren’t all primitive, vicious creatures. Some are really quite cultured and charming. Tyrok is an exemplar of this breed of ‘New Dragon’, striving to improve relations between wyrms and humans and promoting equal rights wherever possible. When he accidentally sets fire to a village and roasts its corrupt mayor following a misunderstanding about a goodwill barbecue, Tyrok must go on the run. Sworn to his code never to (intentionally) harm humans, Tyrok learns to navigate a world marred by corruption, vicious politics, and a band of vengeful villagers seeking to separate his skeleton from the rest of his body.
2022 SHORTLIST
Toothless Dragon
by Zanda Carter
Dragons aren’t all primitive, vicious creatures. Some are really quite cultured and charming. Tyrok is an exemplar of this breed of ‘New Dragon’, striving to improve relations between wyrms and humans and promoting equal rights wherever possible. When he accidentally sets fire to a village and roasts its corrupt mayor following a misunderstanding about a goodwill barbecue, Tyrok must go on the run. Sworn to his code never to (intentionally) harm humans, Tyrok learns to navigate a world marred by corruption, vicious politics, and a band of vengeful villagers seeking to separate his skeleton from the rest of his body.
Blood Runs True
by E L Armstrong
The King is dead… Alone and far from home, word of her father’s murder is the worst possible news for Tamara to receive. With the previous regime massacred, a usurper has claimed her rightful throne and sent elite warriors to ensure she never returns. Whilst attempting to evade them, Mara discovers another kingdom in danger, under attack from the same demons who killed her father. Helping them could allow her to acquire a power strong enough to win the war against the demons forever. But the city won’t give up its secrets easily. Between a distrusting monarch, his overly attentive son, and a supposed prophecy of dubious origins, finding a way home might have a higher price than Mara is willing to pay.
Oy Yew
by Ana Salote
Part adventure, part mystery, part gothic horror, wholly original. 'The waifs will grab your heart from page one and not let go. This book entertains on so many levels. Charles Kingsley meets Jasper Fforde with shades of Gormenghast.'
The Iron Curse
by Jeff Richards
In the days before his selection process, when his lifelong occupation will be chosen and branded onto him, Garryd unknowingly triggers an ability to sense Iron, and uncovers a priceless cache of the Ancients’ weapons. Five centuries ago, Garryd’s world came close to annihilation by invaders who wielded dark magic. In the final battle, when all seemed lost, it was discovered that iron absorbs magic. The Iron Defence was established, and the invaders magic thrown back at them. They stripped every piece of iron they could find as they retreated. Threatened by corrupt Aldermen, who want to use his ability to enrich themselves, Garryd flees from his village, helped by Marcus Northbridge, who has an ulterior motive in aiding him: he needs Garryd’s abilities to uncover magic wielders who are spying their lands. A second invasion is coming, and Garryd’s life may be the price of preventing it.
The Enemy of Heaven
by Reni Stankova
Raphael is a despondent angel prince who spends his time on drugs and entertainment, but this changes one night when he witnesses the extraordinary, inhuman abilities of a young demon from the capital’s ghetto. He hires the demon to be his personal guard in public, while in private they conspire to dethrone Raphael’s father—the Angel King of Heaven. Dante never trusted the royals, but after Raphael saved him from an unfair execution and said he wanted to make the world a better place, he followed him. Meanwhile, he better not fall too hard for his new employer.
Wolf Blind
by Hannah Faoilean
Sixteen-year-old Mirelda discovers a secret her mother hid from her: witchcraft. Her book’s whispering pages will give her any spell she asks for but cannot warn her that freeing a princess trapped inside a wolf will unleash vengeance, heartache, death. They cannot tell her a potion to protect herself from jealousy will throw her kingdom, her friends and her life into danger. Mirelda thinks of a spell. One spell should do it. She’s wrong.
A Deeper Rift in Time
by S D Ballentyne
An ancient artefact rewinds Kaira to 2016, before her cheating husband and Britain went to the dogs. Can she forgive Josh for what he hasn't yet done? Will future knowledge scam her money, save her marriage, and ignite a literary career, or spiral her into madness? Coping with younger versions of her friends proves a challenge, and then her husband’s future lover enters their lives several years early. Kaira soon realises she can indeed change the past, but will the changes she makes be for the better?
Tallulah Belle
by Damien McKeating
Tallulah Belle is a coming-of-age story set within the walls of a fantastical burlesque theatre. When Death stalks the theatre, an orphaned young woman fights to escape it and uncover the truth of who she really is.
One Magic Summer
by Pamela Jo Keeley
Eire's fairies are doomed. Their numbers dwindling. Across the sea in Kansas City, Missouri, newly widowed Jackie doesn’t know why she has to move her fifteen Native American mustangs to Ireland. Just that at 55, she needs to begin a new life. Returning to the land where she was born seems right. But when Bernie moves next door with her 21 rescue Chihuahuas, Jackie feels she’s made a terrible mistake. The two women are thrown together when Co. Wexford’s pookas think Bernie’s rogue Chihuahua and Jackie’s old cowpony are the key to revive their failing powers. When an ambitious and mysterious young Garda suspects the two unwitting witches of murder, they are caught in a web of magical mayhem. Can their two unruly familiars turn the tables and rescue them?
Evanescent Sunrise
by Lauri Lane
After centuries of religious wars, Lymara’s oligarchy chose to ban all forms of religious expression from public and private life. Later, the study of philosophy and literature were criminalized due to their tendency to promote subversive behaviour. Living in a world where machines do most of the thinking, Saanvi discovers a secret society that meets weekly to read and discuss ancient books; fragments of the past that were salvaged and passed on from generation to generation. But when their secrecy is compromised by government agents, Saanvi must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether her beliefs are worth dying for.
The Beast Hunters
by Christer Lende
When a monster brutally kills her parents, Ara is saved by two beast hunters. Becoming their apprentice, she discovers serums, secret bestiary knowledge, and remarkable abilities - all to save unsuspecting souls from the same fate her parents suffered. But, terrifying creatures lurk everywhere and Ara must master the art of beast hunting quickly if she is to uncover the elusive beast plaguing the village of Cornstead.
Where Fate Whispers
by Estelle Tudor
"I was supposed to be a part of a Fated Pair – I was supposed to stave back the shadows with my Union to my Fated Partner. But instead, our Choosing went wrong, and I was destined to kill him... if he didn’t kill me first.” – WHERE FATE WHISPERS, Book one in the Fated Partners Trilogy.
