After five months, 600 entries and over 300,000 words read, Mercier Press and The RTÉ Today Show have chosen the winner of their first-ever book publishing competition.

Rebecca Murphy from Cork City was the judge’s favourite and will see her book Blood and Water published by Mercier Press next year. 

‘I’m thrilled to have won. It’s been a long-held ambition to become a published author, and I’m excited to work with Mercier Press,’ commented Murphy.

‘The overall standard was incredibly high,’ said Dee Collins, Mercier Press Head of Books. ‘Rebecca’s book stood out for its engaging story arc and emotionally affecting prose, touching on themes of generational trauma, love, and loss. We’re very excited to work with her to bring her book to the world,’ she added.

A mental health practitioner, Rebecca has been writing regularly for over 10 years. She previously had a short story published in an RTÉ book show anthology. She was a recipient of a Faber Academy scholarship and completed the Academy’s Finish Your Draft online course in 2024. Rebecca, who lives in Wicklow with her wife and two dogs, has experienced both infertility and miscarriage, and explores these themes in her novel through a fictional lens.

As Ireland’s oldest independent publishing house, based in Cork, Mercier Press has always been a firm champion of new voices and passionate about unearthing hidden stories that encourage meaningful conversations that enrich our rich literary landscape.

Rebecca Murphy will now work with the professional editors at Mercier Press to get her new book ready for readers, who will be eager to dive into what promises to be a compelling and unique story.

The competition, which was a first for both Mercier Press and RTÉ Today Show, was open to all first-time novelists who were invited to submit a full manuscript of their new, unpublished work before the competition deadline in March. Mercier Press diligently read every entry’s first 1000 words, then whittled it down to the top ten 10 finalists, before finally deciding upon the winner.

Follow Mercier Press on our social channels [@mercierpressbooks] to stay updated with news about this and our other exciting titles coming soon.