Tom McKitterick, the former editor of Political Quarterly and author of an unpublished novel, endowed the McKitterick Prize which was first awarded in 1990. It is also generously supported by Hawthornden Literary Retreat. It is given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished.

Applicants must be living and over the age of 40
Applicants must not have had any other novel published (excluding works for children)
Submissions must be a full-length novel in the English language by one author
Submissions must be a work of ‘fiction or imagination or substantially of fiction or imagination’
Submissions must either have been published or self-published in the UK in the 12 months preceding submission (and not first published abroad) or unpublished
If unpublished, the work must not have been previously submitted for the McKitterick Prize.