The Women’s Prize Trust, in partnership with Curtis Brown literary agency, Curtis Brown Creative, and Audible, has announced Rosie Rowell as the winner of the 2025 Discoveries prize for her atmospheric thriller, Down by the Stryth. The novel-in-progress explores themes of dysfunctional family relationships, generational trauma, and the complexities of womanhood through the story of a teenage girl’s disappearance. The setting draws inspiration from the Bolton Strid, a notorious stretch of the River Wharf known as the deadliest section of water worldwide.
Rosie Rowell, originally from London, earned her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Durham University before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s opera school. She has lived in Cardiff for approximately seven years.
As the winner, Rowell receives a £5,000 cash prize along with an offer of literary representation from Curtis Brown.
Reflecting on her achievement, Rowell stated, “Winning Discoveries has felt surreal and extraordinary. Like most writers, I’ve spent a long time sitting in my own thoughts, writing whenever I’ve got a free moment — mostly on the sofa in my pyjamas — and struggling to find the courage to put my work out into the world. Knowing that the judges see promise in the story I’ve worked so hard on and loved so deeply is incredibly encouraging. I’m so excited to see what will become of it.”
In addition, Jac Felipez has been named the 2025 Discoveries Scholar. She will participate in a three-month ‘Writing Your Novel’ course with Curtis Brown Creative, valued at £1,900, to further develop her crime novel-in-progress, A Long Ways from Home. The novel is set in London and centers on the abduction of a politician, intertwined with a hidden history of radical activism and art.
Felipez is Head of Languages at a London comprehensive school and has produced and directed television documentaries that highlight African-Caribbean narratives, aiming to amplify underrepresented voices.
On learning of her selection, Felipez shared, “My first emotion was disbelief — I had to read the email multiple times before it sunk in. The Discoveries process has positively validated my writing, and I feel elated and grateful to the readers and judges for believing in the potential of my novel-in-progress. I am proud to be part of the Discoveries 2025 cohort alongside so many remarkable women writers.”
Both Rowell and Felipez will join Curtis Brown Creative’s two-week Discoveries Writing Development course, led by acclaimed author and former Women’s Prize shortlisted writer Charlotte Mendelson. They will be accompanied by fourteen other longlisted writers for Discoveries 2025.
Furthermore, all six shortlisted writers will receive one-to-one mentoring sessions with Curtis Brown agents and free enrollment in a six-week online writing course of their choice through Curtis Brown Creative, valued at £230. The shortlisted authors will also participate in a studio session focused on writing and recording for audio production, in collaboration with Audible.
Now in its fifth year, the Discoveries programme seeks to discover and support aspiring female novelists across the UK and Ireland from diverse backgrounds and ages. Past participants have gone on to establish themselves as recognized novelists.
Judging panel chair commented, “Selecting the winner and scholar for Discoveries 2025 was a challenging process that underscored the breadth of diverse and exceptional female talent in the literary community. Rosie’s novel is atmospheric and beautifully structured, vividly portraying the painful struggles of contemporary teenage girlhood. Jac’s work is bold and intense, rich with nuance and politics, shedding light on Black artists from the 1980s whose contributions are only now being recognized. I extend my gratitude and admiration to my fellow judges for their enthusiasm, rigor, and integrity. I look forward to seeing these novels reach readers worldwide.”
