#MeToo-themed book wins first £50,000 reader-led prize | Books

An out-of-print book examining the culture of censorship in the post-#MeToo era has won Libraro’s first prize, The £50,000 prize is set to “remove the barriers to books” by allowing readers to choose a shortlist from manuscripts uploaded to the platform directly by authors.

British author Donna Fisher won the award for her book Sheep’s Clothing, which follows a singer and her relationship with a best-selling author accused of rape.

Fisher will receive a prize of £50,000, including £30,000 in prize money, £20,000 in marketing support, and the opportunity to collaborate on a book with publisher Hachette UK.

“Sheep’s Clothing is a definitive and compelling book for the #MeToo era,” said Joanne Harris, chair of the judging panel. “Remembering Daisy Jones and Six, is well-written, provocative and timely. Judges commented on its originality, well-drawn characters, compelling, page-turning character and powerful narrative.”

The book was selected from a shortlist of six selected from over 2,000 submissions on the Libraro platform, a crowd-sourced digital marketing platform with over 15,000 members. The list was chosen by readers, before being judged by an industry panel led by writers Joanne Harris and Elly Griffiths; Deborah Maclaren, chief executive of book promotion platform LoveReading; and blogger Zubs J Malik.

Sheep’s Clothing follows Harriet, a singer who has come to believe that her relationship with a great writer must have a happy ending. But when Jed is accused of rape on the evening of Harriet’s return, he is forced to give a public account where he is expected to testify against him.

Fisher has previously been shortlisted for the 2025 Bridport shortlist and has had the work broadcast on BBC Radio. Her self-published book Queentide won the LoveReading Indie Books award in 2021.

Other shortlisted titles were The Last Canary by Ben Daniels, Yours, Everlasting by Natalie Gordon, Love Lost by Mary Minnock, An Oath of Malice by B Robinson and The Lost Zodiac by TJ Windwood.

Alongside the grand prize, the Libraro readers’ prize of £10,000 for reading and commenting was awarded to Holly Hughes, a creative writing student from Cork, Ireland.

The Libraro Prize is open to anyone aged 18 or over, worldwide, regardless of previous publishing history or professional representation.