Writer and BAFTA member Bridget Lawless launched The Staunch Book Prize in 2018 in response to the constant use of violence against women and girls as plot in the thriller genre and popular culture as a whole. In particular, storylines of rape, abduction, stalking, sexual exploitation and murder are repeatedly exploited.

Though considered highly controversial at first, Staunch Book Prize quickly became established as a respected international prize and was welcomed widely by readers who had become disenchanted by the genre.

This unique prize aims to create a little elbow room for the clever, exciting and engaging stories out there published or unpublished by authors who have found something more original to write about. Thus, readers are provided with exciting, well-written novels with complex and original plots centred around things other than gratuitous violence against women. Short form work is also celebrated with separate prizes for short stories and flash fiction.

Violence against women and girls is a huge and devastating issue all over the world, with women being murdered every day and reporting, prosecuting and conviction rates for rape and assault at an all-time low. Urgent action is required. We feel that everything possible needs to be done to help this issue be taken seriously. That's why Be Enriched and Brixton People's Kitchen have partnered with Staunch to challenge the casual, thoughtless and continual depiction of women being brutalised for entertainment in books, films and TV drama.

After taking a break in 2021 to launch the Staunch Test, (staunchtest.com). 2022 sees Staunch Book Prize back with a bang. But we need some help to get there. Your donations will help us to:

- Administrate and promote the book prize internationally

- Support the running of social media

- Cover staffing costs

- Provide specific software to successfully run the book prize

- Fund public events, educational training and awareness

- Commence Staunch Test research into the impact of violence against women in popular culture

The Staunch Book Prize is the only force currently challenging a culture in which the brutalisation of women is consistently treated as casual entertainment, to be monetised, trivialised and normalised. Help us increase our impact today!

Entry guidelines for the novel, short story and flash fiction prizes can be found at www.staunchbookprize.com.

Entries may be traditionally published, self-published or unpublished and are particularly welcome from BME writers.