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Bridget Lawless always felt strongly about violence against women—on the page, on the screen and in real life. Now the author and screenwriter, who writes educational materials about violence for teachers and students, is putting forward a pot of money from her own pocket for a brand new award. The Staunch Book Prize gives a nod and £2,000 to “the author of a novel in the thriller genre in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered,” according to the description on the prize website.
“As violence against women in fiction reaches a ridiculous high, the Staunch Book Prize invites thriller writers to keep us on the edge of our seats without resorting to the same old clichés,” the description continues. In particular, she believes that authors have become excessively attached to “female characters who are sexually assaulted (however ‘necessary to the plot’), or done away with (however ingeniously)." Which doesn't mean "we’re just looking for thrillers that feature men in jeopardy, but stories in which female characters don’t have to be raped before they can be empowered, or become casual collateral to pump up the plot.”
The prize will be...