Introducing the Sustainable Story Award Winners!
From over 100 inspiring entries, 13 remarkable finalists were shortlisted. Our expert panel of publishers and authors then selected three outstanding winners across Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children’s categories.
Meet the very first winners of the Sustainable Story Award — a celebration of storytelling that champions a greener future. Thanks to the prize funding, their powerful ideas on sustainability will soon come to life!
Overall & Non-Fiction Winner
Eleanor Thom & Oona Dooks
About the Book: Para-swimmer Oona and her water-fearing mum Eleanor journey the coast, discovering resilience through interdependence. Blending memoir, travelogue, and marine ecology, Sea Legs reveals how saving seas and sustaining each other go hand in hand.
About the Authors: Eleanor Thom and her 11-year-old daughter, Oona Dooks are a team, but one of them fell in love with water while the other was afraid of it. Oona is a wheelchair user and competitive swimmer with a talent for turning strangers into friends. Eleanor has written two novels, The Tin-Kin (Duckworth, 2009), which won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award, and Connective Tissue (Taproot Press, 2023). From their home in Edinburgh, and through journeys along the coast, they are working on Sea Legs, a co-written memoir exploring interdependence, disabled whales, and our relationship with the marine environment.
Runners-Up
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Annabelle Sami
More from the AuthorFiction Winner & Runner-Up
About the Book: In 1905, Puti travels from Calcutta to England as an Ayah to save her sick mother. In 2013 Hackney, Sophia discovers the historical Ayah's Home, which transforms her world forever.
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About the Author: Annabelle Sami was born and grew up by the sea on the south coast of Dorset, before moving to London where she is currently based. She has written 12 books for children, and also works in the arts with several prominent theatre companies and artists, producing participatory and experimental work. She enjoys working dramaturgically and editorially on scripts to champion underrepresented voices and perspectives.
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Wren James
More from the AuthorChildren's Winner & Runner-Up
About the Book: Anarchy on the Atlantic Express is a near-future mystery set on the maiden voyage of the first transatlantic train, in which a disenchanted teen investigates a shocking break-in to the luggage compartment of the luxury, eco-friendly ocean hopper.
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About the Author: Wren James is a Carnegie-longlisted British author of bestselling YA novels, previously published as Lauren James, including The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, now in development with RK Films. A story consultant on Netflix’s Heartstopper (Seasons 2 & 3) and a RLF Royal Fellow, Wren is also the founder of the Climate Fiction Writers League, creator of The Climate-Conscious Writers Handbook, and editor of Future Hopes: Hopeful stories in a time of climate change. Their books have sold over 200,000 copies in eight languages.
Official 2025 Shortlist
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Annabelle Sami
More from the AuthorFiction Shortlist
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In 1905, Puti travels from Calcutta to England as an Ayah to save her sick mother. In 2013 Hackney, Sophia discovers the historical Ayah's Home, which transforms her world forever.
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Kate Evans
More from the AuthorFiction Shortlist
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The First Years is a story of an unlikely fellowship, weaving a uniquely sustainable future in the Northernlands of England whilst overcoming opposition from all quarters.
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Marianne Pickles
More from the AuthorFiction Shortlist
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In Time Hack, as civilisation recovers from the Melt, Charlotte investigates an enigmatic technology that adds time to her days. It could save her best friend. But will it cost the Earth?
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Rebecca Muddiman
More from the AuthorFiction Shortlist
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Exploring themes of ecofeminism, Life or Death follows Carrie Howes, an officer in EcoCrimes, as she joins the resistance and fights against a regime oppressing women and destroying the planet.
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Sandy Foster
More from the Author – Coming SoonFiction Shortlist
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How do you save a dying planet when you’re the plague? In The Weight of All of Us, the apocalypse has arrived and it’s not zombies or flesh-eating viruses. It’s a wax candle. It’s a puddle evaporating in the sun.
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Eleanor & Oona
More from the AuthorNon-Fiction Shortlist
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Para-swimmer Oona and her water-fearing mum Eleanor journey the coast, discovering resilience through interdependence. Blending memoir, travelogue, and marine ecology, Sea Legs reveals how saving seas and sustaining each other go hand in hand.
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Katie Treggiden
More from the AuthorNon-Fiction Shortlist
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Walking Home is the story of a secular pilgrimage undertaken to reconnect author Katie Treggiden with her homeland and herself—and to uncover the indigenous Celtic wisdom we need to face the environmental crisis.
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Victoria Bennett
More from the AuthorNon-Fiction Shortlist
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Blending memoir, eco-feminism, and geology, RUST traces iron’s imprint on body, family, and landscape — revealing how extraction, inheritance, and decay shape us, and how resilience and renewal emerge from ruins.
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Alice Nuttall
More from the AuthorChildren's Shortlist
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Loki's Brats explores the climate impact of AI through a Norse mythology lens, following Hel, daughter of Loki, and Kara, a murdered Valkyrie, as they expose a cover-up by the gods.
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Elsa Kent & Julia Hailes
More from the AuthorChildren's Shortlist
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From dung beetles to elephants, worms to whales, in How Do You Poo? Ziggy the cockapoo discovers how poo helps the planet but how humans have lost their way. His mission: to inspire us to clean up our act.
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Kathryn Clark
More from the AuthorChildren's Shortlist
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In a world where nothing is as it seems, Only Impossible Things follows a girl fleeing an AI-governed city who must unite with a boy from a self-sustaining community to rescue their missing siblings.
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Naomi Jones
More from the AuthorChildren's Shortlist
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Honey I Shrunk the kids meets Avatar. Acorn Boy is an action packed, eco-adventure story that shows readers we can make a difference to the world around us, no matter how big we are.
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Wren James
More from the AuthorChildren's Shortlist
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Anarchy on the Atlantic Express is a near-future mystery set on the maiden voyage of the first transatlantic train, in which a disenchanted teen investigates a shocking break-in to the luggage compartment of the luxury, eco-friendly ocean hopper.
We're investing in authors whose stories shape our understanding of the global climate emergency, and the people and movements working to protect our environment.
- Dan Mucha, CEO
Meet the Judges & Mentors
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Anna Bond
Managing Director, Octopus Publishing Group
Anna has spent more than 20 years in publishing working for Orion, Allen & Unwin and Pan Macmillan before joining Hachette UK in 2020 as managing Director of Octopus Publishing Group and a member of the Hachette UK Board. Anna is also a Trustee for the World Book Day Charity whose purpose is to champion the fun of reading.
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Amanda Ridout
Founder and CEO, Boldwood Books
Before founding Boldwood, Amanda was CEO of Head of Zeus and MD at Phaidon, Harper Collins, and Headline, with over 40 years in publishing. She serves on the IPG Board, was Chair in 2021/22, and leads the IPG Sustainability Action Group, also co-founding the Sustainability Industry Forum to address the climate challenge.
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Sophie Galleymore Bird
Novelist, Editor & Consultant
Sophie Galleymore Bird is a novelist, editor, and communications consultant for environmental organisations, currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the University of East Anglia. She sits on the Society of Authors' sustainability steering committee and is active in the Transition Towns movement. Passionate about nature, she lives in South East Devon surrounded by wildlife.
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Shannon Cullen
UK Publishing Director, Walker Books
Shannon leads the creative team at Walker Books, and has over 25 years of publishing experience, including roles at HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Quarto. She represents Walker at the Empathy Circle, an advisory group for Empathy Day, and is Vice-Chair of the Independent Publishers Guild, where she serves on the industry-wide EDI Forum to uphold the professional values of the publishing industry.
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Piers Torday
Award-Winning Children's Book Author
Piers Torday is an award-winning author best known for The Last Wild series, which explores themes of biodiversity and sustainability. He writes, campaigns, and advises on eco-conscious storytelling and publishing, including sustainable theatre productions and the Society of Authors' Tree to Me campaign. Piers also serves on various literary award panels and leads the UK Society of Authors Sustainability Network.
sustainable story awards
How It Works
Prize & Winnings
The Sustainable Story Award aims to direct resources to those in need, supporting literary and sustainable growth. The prize consists of a mixture or financial and mentor support:
- £15,000 bursary for winner
- 2 x £5,000 bursaries for runner
- Mentorship from industry experts for winners, with a minimum of 2 x one hour sessions - subject to mentors' discretion
Entry Requirements
Submissions for the Sustainable Story Award are available to authors based in the UK at any stage of their careers, provided they have been published at least once before. As this is the inaugural year of the awards, the focus is on supporting authors who have already navigated the publishing process and are working on their next sustainability-focused book. Entrants must fill in our online form where they can submit:
- A short book proposal
- The first three chapters of their book
- A short statement on how their work contributes to sustainability discourse
The entry process is designed to be simple and accessible to encourage diverse voices and bold new perspectives. This is FREE to enter and authors must be based in the UK.
Judging Process
A panel of distinguished publishing leaders, authors and sustainability advocates will select the winners, ensuring the most powerful and thought-provoking works receive recognition. So far, the 2025 judging panel includes Amanda Ridout, Founder & CEO of Boldwood Books; Anna Bond, Managing Director for Octopus Publishing Group; Piers Torday, Children's Book Author; Sophie Galleymore Bird, Novelist, Editor & Consultant; and Shannon Cullen, UK Publishing Director of Walker Books, with more judges to be announced. Beyond judging, panel members will mentor the winners, offering expert guidance to help shape their careers and maximise their books' impact.
The official shorlist will be announced in August, with 6 authors shortlisted in each category (Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children's).
Winners will be announced on 10th September 2025
FAQs
Can unpublished authors enter?
As this is the inaugural year of the awards, the focus is on supporting authors who have already navigated the publishing process and are working on their next sustainability-focused book.
Can I submit more than one piece?
Authors are limited to submitting one piece of work. In the case where authors submit more than one entry, only the first one will be considered.
Who can enter?
Authors based in the UK who have been previously published at least once.
Can I enter if my story has been published before?
No, the purpose of these awards is to support authors in writing their books about sustainability. The story you submit for consideration must not have been previously published.
Are co-authored pieces allowed?
Yes, but this must be made clear on the submission form.
Do I retain the rights to my story?
Yes, you retain full rights to your story. We will only provide funds to support you in writing it.
What defines a “sustainable” story – is it the theme, setting, message?
A sustainable story explores themes related to environmental, social, or economic sustainability. It can be fiction or non-fiction and may reflect sustainability through its central message, the world it imagines, or the issues it confronts. What matters most is that the story contributes meaningfully to conversations about building a better, more resilient future. Here are a few ways sustainability might appear in your work:
- Environmental sustainability: Stories that explore climate change, biodiversity loss, resource management, renewable energy, or the consequences of environmental neglect — whether through non-fiction analysis or speculative, dystopian, or cli-fi fiction.
- Social sustainability: Narratives focused on justice, equality, and sustainable communities, including topics like climate justice, ecofeminism, or Indigenous rights.
- Economic sustainability: Works that critique existing economic systems and propose or imagine alternatives — highlighting green economies, sustainable development, and the economic impacts of environmental collapse.
The strongest entries will approach these themes with originality, clarity, and purpose — inviting readers to reflect, question, and act.