We spoke to our Best Published Novel award judging panel and asked, 'What does the word adventure conjure up for you?'

Submissions to our Best Published Novel award in the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize closed last week. We received an exciting and eclectic list of published books for our review panel of librarians and library staff to delve into. 

Once our review panel has secured the shortlist the titles will be read by our esteemed judging panel: Pip Stewart, Dwayne Fields, Rachel Joyce and Jonathan Coates. All self-professed adventure and adventure fiction addicts.     

Ahead of the longlist release, we spoke to the judges and asked, 'What does the word adventure conjure up for you?'

The results…

"Adventure is about possibility. The idea of shifting horizons, not just of a landscape but our own too. For me, adventure is about learning, growth and ultimately connection - with ourselves, with others and the natural world around us. It's that curiosity, that desire to explore, the embracing of a moment (even if uncomfortable) and feeling more alive than ever." 

-Pip Stewart 

''I instantly relive some of my own expeditions and experiences upon hearing the wonderful word ‘adventure’. It conjures up an unlimited amount of food for thought for me and causes my imagination to run wild, picturing what was, what is and what could be with endless possibilities and very few boundaries. I start to day dream about places I’d like to see and equally important, the places I’ve been to, people I’ve met" 

-Dwayne Fields

“For me an adventure means a bold departure. When we leave behind the familiar, and those props we rely on, old patterns can at last begin to fall away. It's about not knowing what to do and getting lost - physically as well as spiritually - so that you can become an individual. And in terms of story telling, that should also be the case for the reader. You close the book and realise the world looks different” 

-Rachel Joyce 

"For me the term adventure instantly conjures up exotic images of far flung lands and different periods of history or cultures, such as an expedition through a jungle searching for a lost civilisation, a trek to the summit of a mountain, or a sea voyage to a remote island. But I think they can also be journeys of self-discovery as people step outside their comfort zone to learn about different places, times and cultures, and often their own heritage."

-Jonathan Coates 

Connection, excitement, curiosity and becoming. Adventure conjures up an array of feelings for each of our judges.

We are looking forward to seeing how these perceptions of adventure are met by this year’s submissions!

The winner of the Best Published Novel Award will be announced this September. To find out more about the prize, visit Best Published Novel | Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation