Published October 1, 2026 • The Digital Desk, America Publishers
For emerging novelists, developing a manuscript is only one part of building a writing career. Finding informed guidance, financial support, and opportunities to connect with publishing professionals can present a separate challenge. A new initiative from the Women’s Prize Trust and Chanel aims to bring those resources together for five women writers in the United States.
The Originators mentorship program, announced on September 30, will pair selected writers with established novelists and provide grants to support their projects. Applications are open until November 30, 2026. Combining manuscript development with professional guidance, the initiative offers eligible unpublished women novelists an opportunity to strengthen their work and learn from authors who have navigated the publishing industry.
What the Originators Mentorship Program Offers
Originators is a new mentorship and development program delivered by the U.K.-based Women’s Prize Trust and presented by Chanel. Its focus is emerging women fiction writers based in the United States, with five participants selected for support tailored to their artistic and professional development.
Each writer will be paired with an established novelist to help refine their manuscript and prepare to present their work to the wider literary world. Participants will also benefit from a curated program involving guest speakers, publishing experts, industry leaders, and creatives.
This approach to mentorship for women writers brings together individual feedback and a broader introduction to the industry surrounding a book. Alongside developing their fiction, participants will have opportunities to expand their knowledge and professional connections.
The program’s stated purpose is to support new literary talent through mentorship, funding, and industry access. Selection should therefore be understood as a development opportunity, rather than a promise of publication.
Five Writers to Receive $5,000 Grants from Chanel
According to Publishers Weekly, each of the five selected writers will receive a $5,000 grant from Chanel to support her writing project. One writer will be chosen to receive an additional $5,000, bringing that participant’s total funding to $10,000.
The grants add financial support to the program’s editorial and professional guidance. Although writing grants for women cannot remove every obstacle involved in completing a novel, this funding is intended to support the projects selected for development.
The Chanel writing mentorship partnership also includes support from publishing and entertainment professionals. Together, these elements place the emphasis on developing both the manuscript and the writer’s understanding of the opportunities surrounding it.
A.M. Homes Leads the Selection and Mentorship Panel
The inaugural selection panel is chaired by A.M. Homes, who won the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction for May We Be Forgiven. She is joined by four authors whose work has also been recognized by the prize.
Virginia Evans won the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her debut novel, The Correspondent. V.V. Ganeshananthan received the 2024 prize for Brotherless Night, while Tayari Jones won in 2019 for An American Marriage.
The panel also includes Nicole Krauss, who was shortlisted for The History of Love in 2006 and Great House in 2011.
Their involvement connects emerging women writers with authors who bring different experiences of writing, publication, and literary recognition. The panel members will help the selected participants refine their work and present it to the literary world.
Speaking about the importance of that support, Jones said: “The greatest gift of my writing life has been the women writers who have taken me under their wings.” Her comment reflects the emphasis on community and shared experience behind the initiative.
Who Can Apply for Originators 2027?
Originators 2027 applications are open to women aged 21 and above who reside in the United States and write in English. The submitted novel must be intended for adult readers; children’s and young adult manuscripts are excluded.
U.S. citizenship is not required, but applicants must reside in the United States when applying and throughout the program, until May 31, 2027. Writers with literary agents are ineligible, as are applicants who accept literary representation or a publishing deal after submitting.
The description “unpublished women novelists” requires some qualification. Previous self-publishing does not automatically disqualify a writer, although the submitted novel must remain unpublished. Other publication history can affect eligibility, including traditionally published books in categories beyond adult fiction.
Prospective applicants should therefore check the official rules against their circumstances before submitting. The eligibility criteria extend beyond whether the particular manuscript has appeared in print, making the program’s FAQ and terms essential reading.
Application Requirements and November 30 Deadline
Applicants must create a writer profile and provide the opening of their novel, with a maximum length of 5,000 words, alongside a 500–1,000-word synopsis and information about themselves. There is no entry fee.
A finished novel is not required. However, the synopsis should explain the main plot, its intended direction, and how the story may end, allowing the panel to understand the proposed work beyond its opening pages.
Applications opened on September 30, 2026, and close on November 30, 2026, at 6:59 p.m. EST. Writers may submit only one entry, and submitted material cannot subsequently be revised through the portal.
Applicants should review their sample, synopsis, and personal details before completing the submission. For the full application requirements and access to the official portal, Click here. The accompanying FAQ provides further guidance on eligibility and preparing an entry.
Building on the Women’s Prize Trust’s Discoveries Program
Originators follows the Women’s Prize Trust’s experience with Discoveries, its program for writers in the U.K. and Ireland, launched in 2020. Publishers Weekly reports that 19 of its 96 alumni had secured debut novel deals, with 11 of those debuts published by September 2026.
Those results provide background to the new initiative, rather than a forecast for its participants. Chanel also brings experience supporting literary activities in France, including author conversations and initiatives recognizing emerging talent. Originators extends that involvement to the American literary field through a partnership centered on women’s writing and development.
For eligible writers, the Originators mentorship program offers five places combining financial support, established author guidance, and industry access. With submissions now open, applicants have until November 30 to prepare their materials, confirm their eligibility, and put forward an unpublished novel for consideration through the Women’s Prize Trust’s official portal.
Source: “Women’s Prize Trust, Chanel Team on Mentorship Program,” September 30, 2026. Read more at PublishersWeekly.com.
