Alumni

The Deborah Rogers Foundation is proud to have supported the following talented professionals making their mark on the literary world. Read more about our prize winning writers and the David Miller bursary and internship participants below.

Winners of the Deborah Rogers Award

Mermaid & Mrs Hancock, The Crossway, Ponti, Djinn Patrol, Andy Africa, Trembling Hand, The Dead Don’t Bleed, The Suicide Mothers

Saranya Murthi.jpg Saranya Murthi’s novel Ratri took the 2025 Deborah Rogers Award. The chair of the judges, Erica Wagner explained the panel’s reasoning ‘'Ratri stood out to us from the outset of the process. It is such vivid, specific writing—it’s always challenging to create a truly convincing young voice, but with her eponymous narrator Murthi has nailed it; this extract is so alive, so compelling in its portrait of an awakening consciousness, a child at the mercy of her family and yet alert and self-willed: we can't help but thirst to know how the story will end.”

“Winning this award has been nothing short of life changing - it's the kind of support and recognition that's so crucial for any first-time author to gain confidence in their voice. I'm so grateful to have the rare opportunity to pour all my energy into the thing I love most: writing.” - Saranya Murthi

Neil Rollison was our winner in 2023 for his novel, The Dead Don't Bleed. It was published by Jonathan Cape in 2026 to great acclaim. Sarah Hall declared it “a thrilling, deep-song, high-proof novel that’s brilliantly imagined, gorgeously crafted and several cuts above the usual debut”, the Guardian that it is “extraordinarily tense and tender” while the Times called it “terse, bloody and vivid”.

read an extract from winning entry, The Dead Don’t Bleed published by Jonathan Cape

Nabugodi Mathelinda.jpeg In 2021, Mathelinda Nabugodi’s essays, The Trembling Hand: Reflections of a Black Woman in the Romantic Archive, was judged the winner. In 2025, Mathelinda’s book was published in the UK by Hamish Hamilton and Knopf in the US.
Mathelinda said: "Winning the DRF Writers Award is such a wonderful validation of my work. I am so gratified to know that my attempt to stage a fresh and honest encounter with the Romantic archive has resonated with the judges and all the prize readers."

Deepa Anappara.jpg Deepa Anappara was the winner in 2018 for her novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line. Published by Chatto & Windus (UK) and Random House (US) in 2020, it has been translated into 22 languages. Hailed by the New York Times Book Review as “a Literary Supernova”, it was named as a book of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. Time included it in its list of ‘The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time’. Deepa Anappara is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture, published in 2023. Her second novel, The Last of Earth, was published by Random House in the US and Oneworld in the UK, 2026.
Deepa said: “Winning the DRF Writers Award and listening to the helpful comments of the judges gave me both the permission and conviction I needed to finish my novel.”

History of the Deborah Rogers Award

David Miller Bursary and Internship participants

Originally conceived to support a developing rights professional already working in the industry, and awarded in 2017 and 2019, the David Miller Bursary was re-focused in 2022 as an internship programme designed to open pathways for underrepresented candidates in the industry.

Shreya Ganguli picture (1).jpg Shreya Ganguli (DMIP 2025)

Shreya is now working for HarperCollins Rights Department. Of her experience, Shreya commented - "I’m so grateful for having done the DMIP which certainly led to me getting a job in the Children’s Rights Team at HarperCollins - through the programme I gained a practical understanding of the publishing industry at large and specifically rights which put me in a great position to apply and interview for these sorts of roles. Thank you so much to everyone at the Deborah Rogers Foundation who have been an invaluable support throughout this process."

Danielle Olanipekun.jpg Danielle Olanipekun (DMIP 2025)

Danielle is now working at Curtis Brown as a literary assistant. She explained “the experience I gained at the Deborah Rogers Foundation was invaluable in my job search, particularly the exposure to rights, getting hands-on experience as well as the mentorship and experience within office settings with industry professionals. It gave me unique insight which came up repeatedly in interviews and helped me speak confidently about the industry.”

Valentia Adarkwa-Afari (DMIP 2022)

After a first job with CAA, Valentia moved to her present job at Hachette as a Rights and Co-Editions assistant. She acts as a peer mentor to other DMIP interns. Valentia said: “The Internship has been one of the most invaluable experiences of my life. As a recipient of the internship, I have felt nothing but appreciation and gratitude towards everyone involved in creating such a wonderful experience”.

Prema Raj.jpg Prema Raj (2019)

The 2019 DRF David Miller Bursary was won by Prema Raj, of AM Heath Literary Agency. Prema spent her 8 weeks working at Rosinante, Profile Books, Vintage, Grove and Einaudi. The runners-up were Camille Morard and Hana Murrell. Prema said: “The Bursary has been an enormously valuable experience allowing me to expand my knowledge of translation rights and international contacts, and the publishing industry as a whole.” Prema is currently Head of Rights at Lutyens and Rubinstein.

sam bursary.png Sam Coates (2017)

The 2017 DRF David Miller Bursary was won by Sam Coates, then of Vintage PRH. Sam spent his 8 weeks working at Cappelen Damm, RCW, De Bezige Bej and Farrar Straus & Giroux. The runners-up were Celia Long and Emily Randle. Sam said: “The bursary has provided a wealth of experience, knowledge and information which I intend to draw on over the coming years.” After five years in the translation team at Vintage Books, Sam joined the Foreign Rights Department at RCW Literary Agency in 2018. He is now head of Foreign Rights at RCW Literary Agency.

Alumni

Winners of the Deborah Rogers Award

History of the Deborah Rogers Award

Read more here

David Miller Bursary and Internship participants