Former Stella Prize Winner Emily Bitto to Co-Judge Inaugural Fearless Prize as Submissions Open September 1, 2025

29 August 2025 — Bakers Lane Books today announced that acclaimed author and former Stella Prize winner, Emily Bitto will co-judge the inaugural Fearless Prize, a $10,000 award for an unpublished work of literary fiction by an Australian woman or gender-diverse writer. Submissions open on September 1, 2025, with the winning manuscript to be published in 2026 under Bakers Lane's feminist imprint, Fearless Press.

Founded earlier this year by publishing veteran Ginny Grant, Bakers Lane Books has already positioned itself as a new force in Australian publishing, with a mission to champion underrepresented voices and to create opportunities for emerging writers.

Grant said Bitto was the ideal choice to co-judge the inaugural prize alongside her.

"Emily Bitto is a writer whose career was transformed by the recognition of a major literary prize, and she knows how life-changing that moment can be," Grant said. "Her work exemplifies the ambition and originality we want the Fearless Prize to stand for. She brings not just literary excellence, but a deep commitment to mentoring and supporting new voices. We couldn't imagine a better inaugural judge."

Prize Guidelines:

• The Fearless Prize is open to unpublished Australian women and gender-diverse writers.
• Entries must be an unpublished work of literary fiction.
• The winning manuscript will be awarded a $10,000 advance against royalties and publication by Fearless Press in 2026.
• Full submission guidelines are available at www.bakerslane.com.au

About the Judges: 

Emily Bitto is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and non-fiction, and the former winner of the Stella Prize. She has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. 

Her debut novel, The Strays, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and went on to win the Stella Prize in 2015. 

The Strays has been published in the USA, Canada and the UK, and translated into Portuguese and Arabic, with rights for a film adaptation currently under option. Her second novel, Wild Abandon, won the Margaret and Colin Roderick Award and was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year. Bitto's work has appeared in HEAT, Meanjin, Island, The Age and The Saturday Paper. She has been teaching and mentoring emerging writers for over a decade, and is currently a tutor at the Faber Writing Academy.

Ginny Grant is the founder and publisher of Bakers Lane Books. After more than two decades in trade publishing, she launched Bakers Lane in 2025 with a mission to champion bold, inclusive storytelling and support underrepresented Australian voices. 

Through Bakers Lane's feminist imprint, Fearless Press, Grant is committed to addressing inequity in the literary world and creating opportunities for women and gender-diverse writers.

-ENDS -

For interviews, review copies or further information, please contact: 
Julia Ferracane | Righteous PR
E: julia@righteouspr.com.au | M: 0424 180 420