David Gilman’s riveting Boer War novel THE LAST HORSEMAN has been shortlisted for the Wilbur and Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Established in 2016, the prize is an annual event celebrating the best adventure novels published in the last calendar year. The prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English.
David Gilman is the author of the highly-praised MASTER OF WAR series (Head of Zeus), set during The Hundred Years War and sold in several countries around the world. Gilman’s standalone novel THE LAST HORSEMAN was described by The Historical Novel Society Magazine as ‘packed full of intrigue, adventure and excitement, while The Times said it was ‘gripping and full of action, but also smart and subtle about questions of loyalty and guilt in a war with few good guys.’ David has also written the DANGER ZONE adventure trilogy for younger readers, published by Puffin.
The six-strong shortlist for this year’s Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is:
• David Gilman THE LAST HORSEMAN (Head of Zeus)
• Frank Gardner CRISIS (Bantam Press)
• Stef Penney UNDER A POLE STAR (Quercus)
• Sara Sheridan ON STARLIT SEAS (Black and White Publishing)
• James Swallow NOMAD (Zaffre Publishing)
• Graham Hurley FINISTERRE (Head of Zeus)
The 2017 judging panel comprises: Steve Winter, award-winning National Geographic Photographer; Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent at Sky News; Kevin Conroy Scott, Literary Agent at Tibor Jones & Associates; and Corban Addison, bestselling author and winner of the 2016 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. The £10,000 prize will be awarded at a ceremony at London’s Royal Geographical Society in September 2017.
Niso Smith, Founder of The Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation, says: “The Prize is the Foundation’s flagship programme. We are delighted to have received such a high standard of submissions, from both established novelists and writers submitting their debut work of fiction. There are many talented adventure authors writing today and they need to be recognised for their outstanding work. The shortlist really encapsulates the spirit of adventure writing. Each novel allows us a glimpse into different worlds and times, from modern-day to historical settings, and each with clear threats to overcome – whether that’s a fearsome human enemy, societal conventions, or the formidable power of nature.”
Established in September 2015, The Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation is a charitable organisation dedicated to empowering writers, promoting literacy and advancing adventure writing as a genre.
For more information on the Foundation and the Prize, click here
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See more on David Gilman’s website here.
Praise for David Gilman:
‘What Gilman does superlatively is heart-pounding action.’ — Amanda Craig, The Times
‘Move over Bernard Cornwell!…Historical fiction at its best.’ — Historical Novel Society
‘David Gilman writes so well, managing to stir the blood while moving the reader, at least this one, to tears.' — For Winter Nights
‘Some may notice that there are certain words that are repeated in each of my David Gilman reviews because they're so true they stick to him like a magnet to magnetic stuff. So adjectives like action-packed, exciting and wonderfully researched are a given. Yet only the qualities of the work stay the same; the story is as fresh and shock-filled as each of its predecessors.’ — Ani Johnson, The Bookbag
