British author Donna Fisher has won the inaugural Libraro prize for her unpublished manuscript Sheep's Clothing, a novel that delves into cancel culture in the post-#MeToo era. The award, worth £50,000, was created to bypass traditional publishing barriers by allowing readers to select a shortlist from manuscripts uploaded directly by writers.
The Winning Novel
Sheep's Clothing follows Harriet, a singer whose long-standing emotionally charged friendship with a bestselling author, Jed, seems destined for a happy ending. However, when Jed is accused of sexual assault on the eve of Harriet's professional comeback, she faces a public reckoning where she is expected to condemn him.
Joanne Harris, chair of judges, praised the novel as “a remarkably assured and engaging novel of the post #MeToo era. Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, it is well-written, provocative and timely. The judges commented on its originality, its well-drawn characters, its compulsive, page-turning quality and its strong narrative voice.”
Prize Package
Fisher will receive £30,000 in prize money, £20,000 in marketing support, and the option of a book deal with publisher Hachette UK. Her previous accolades include being shortlisted for the 2025 Bridport short story prize and winning a LoveReading Indie Books award in 2021 for her self-published novel Queentide.
Selection Process
The novel was chosen from a six-title shortlist drawn from over 2,000 submissions on the Libraro platform, a community-driven digital publishing initiative with more than 15,000 members. Readers selected the shortlist, which was then judged by an industry panel including authors Joanne Harris and Elly Griffiths; Deborah Maclaren, CEO of LoveReading; and book blogger Zubs J Malik.
Other Shortlisted Titles
- The Last Canary by Ben Daniels
- Yours, Everlasting by Natalie Gordon
- Love Lost by Mary Minnock
- An Oath of Malice by B Robinson
- The Lost Zodiac by TJ Windwood
Reader Engagement Prize
Alongside the main award, the £10,000 Libraro reader engagement prize for reading and commenting on submissions was awarded to Holly Hughes, a creative writing master's student in Cork, Ireland.
The Libraro prize is open to anyone aged 18 or over worldwide, regardless of previous publishing history or professional representation.
