Top Voices in Science Fiction and Fantasy Hail from the UK

The United Kingdom continues to prove itself a significant resource for the future of science fiction and fantasy storytelling and illustration. “Four more winners from the UK are now published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40, stated Joni Labaqui, the Contests’ Director, “making a total of twenty winners from the UK.” Volume 40 will be released on July 9 and be available in bookstores throughout the UK.

Over the four decades of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future competitions, there have been 20 winners from the UK, including:

• 1987 (Volume 3) Writer winner Eric M. Heideman
• 1989 (Volume 5) Writer winner and international bestselling hard science fiction author Stephen Baxter
• 1991 (Volume 7) Writer winner Terri Trimble
• 1993 (Volume 9) Writer winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Wein
• 1997 (Volume 13) Writer winner Malcolm Twigg
• 1997 (Volume 13) Illustrator winner Steve Turner
• 2002 (Volume 18) Writer winner Tom Brennan
• 2009 (Volume 25) Writer winner and Jim Baen Memorial Award winner Mjke Wood
• 2010 (Volume 26) Writer winner Simon Cooper
• 2010 (Volume 26) Writer winner Adam Colston
• 2012 (Volume 28) Writer winner William Mitchell
• 2016 (Volume 32) Writer winner Robert M. Graves
• 2016 (Volume 32) Illustrator winner Brandon Knight
• 2017 (Volume 33) Writer winner Anton Rose
• 2019 (Volume 35) Writer winner Christopher Baker
• 2019 (Volume 35) Illustrator winner Vytautas Vasiliauskas
• 2019 (Volume 35) Illustrator winner Yingying Jiang
• 2019 (Volume 35) Illustrator winner Sam Kemp
• 2020 (Volume 36) Writer winner and multiple award-winning author J.L. George
• 2021 (Volume 37) Illustrator Grand Prize winner Dan Watson
• 2023 (Volume 39) Writer winner Samuel Parr
• 023 (Volume 39) Writer winner Arthur H. Manners
• 2024 (Volume 40) Writer winners, as the team writing sisters Rose and Alice Robilliard
• 2024 (Volume 40) Writer winner James Davies
• 2024 (Volume 40) Illustrator winner Steven Bentley

The Volume 40 eBook and digital audiobook are available via Amazon.co.uk and will be available as a paperback in stores throughout the UK on July 9.

UK Fantasy author Neil Gaiman wrote that the Writers of the Future Contest “has a record of nurturing and discovering writers who have gone on to make their mark in the SF field. Long may it continue!”

International bestselling author and Writers of the Future Judge Brandon Sanderson stated, “It really does help the best rise to the top.”

Selected from a field of thousands of entrants from 180 countries, Volume 40 features winners from eight countries: Canada, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and the USA. And from the UK: Rosalyn Robilliard, the sister team, Rose and Alice, with their story “The Wall Isn’t a Circle”; writer James Davies with his futuristic sci-fi “Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber”; and illustrator Steven Bentley with his illustration of “Five Days Until Sunset.”

SciFiNow.UK’s review of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 began with, “Fans of science fiction and fantasy short stories rejoice!” and specifically noted as a standout the story, “‘The Wall Isn’t a Circle,’ Rosalyn Robilliard’s brilliant cyberpunky tale of evil corporations and the devils of social media.”

Multiple award-winning author and Writers of the Future Volume 9 winner Elizabeth Wein (#1 New York Times bestseller Code Name Verity) stated, “[Writers of the Future] introduced me to a community of writers that I did not know existed…. I can’t imagine my life as a writer without the attendant deep connection to fans, other writers, and the Internet. Writers of the Future provided my initial lifeline to all three. I’ve never looked back!”

Volume 40’s eBook and digital audiobook are available via Amazon.com.uk and will be available in paperback stores throughout the United Kingdom on July 9.

L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future Contest in 1983 to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” The Contest has proven very successful.

The 559 winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 8,000 novels and short stories, created 36 New York Times bestselling novels, and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

The 406 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have created art for 7 New York Times bestselling books, 9 album covers, 29 public murals, 131 major motion pictures, gaming feature films, TV shows, and documentaries, 518 comics, and 704 book and magazine covers.

For more information on the Writers of the Future Contest, visit www.writersofthefuture.com.