The first edition of Penmancy PitchFest was a test of endurance, belief, and voice.

Conducted in association with The Book Bakers, the event unfolded over three demanding months, during which writers were challenged not just to pitch ideas, but to defend them, reshape them, and prove they could survive the scrutiny of the publishing world. Every round stripped the work closer to its core.

By the end of this gruelling process, three winners emerged, each from a distinct genre: Horror, Mytho-Fiction, and Non-Fiction as their were stories sharpened by rejection, revision, and relentless feedback.

The reward was not symbolic. The Book Bakers represented the winners and successfully secured publishing deals with established publishers, turning untested manuscripts into contracted books.

WHAT IS A BOOK PITCH?

A Book Pitch is the premise of your book. Share your pitch with your story’s central concept showcasing the reason for us to take it up for publishing. The event is conducted in three rounds the description of which follows.

The contest was open to

• Indian residents over the age of 18 years
• Anyone who had a manuscript ready or in progress
• Writers whose book/s has/ve not been previously published
• Open to submit in more than one category/ genre
   

Categories/ Genre 

(Shorts stories in the mentioned genre/ category were also accepted)

PitchFest did not promise ease. It promised honesty.

And for three writers, it delivered something rarer than applause: a way in.

MAHAJAYA: The Battle for Dharma Resumes… by Alpna Das Sharma 

In times of yore, a righteous king hung his head in despair, when, because of his notions of Dharma as a king, he failed to protect the dignity of a woman he respected.

In the present day, a young heir to a political dynasty is faced with a similar dilemma...what does his Dharma compel him to do?

The battle for Dharma resumes in this contemporary saga of personal struggles, friendships, redemption and retribution, inspired from the greatest epic of all times, the Mahabharata.

SHADOW TOWN: Grave Encounters With The Other World by Sreemati Sen

Dr. Deesha arrives in a remote tribal village where legends abound, superstitions rule, and local deities flourish. Questions arise in her mind. Is Bensho a spirit or just a prank by a villager? Why is everyone steering clear of the beautiful pond? Who is lighting up the dark, marshy land every evening? Aren't curses a belief of fools? Deesha dismisses them all. Soon, a crisis erupts, and she comes face-to-face with a long-dormant legend. Forced to confront reality, Deesha realises that the line between science and the supernatural is thinner than she imagines.

NEED over WANT by Poornima Jha

Minimalism is the philosophy of spending your time, energy, and money on things that add value to your life. It’s the art of recognising need over want. Minimalism is a cry against a consumerist mindset where you allow yourself to drift in the direction of every marketing gimmick around you.

Saro and Lakshmi write letters to their fathers discussing their lifestyle choices. Kalyani explores the minimalist philosophy after an abusive marriage pushes her against the wall. A middle-class Bihari family discovers what a minimalist home should be like. Siddharth struggles to focus on the right things in the office while he goofs up at an important client meeting.

A family uncovers country-side fitness mantras as they are stuck in heavy rain in Coorg. At a superhero costume competition, relationships are strained and mended through the eyes of kids. A disoriented college pass-out Appu is listening to the podcast of a minimalist digital nomad, on the verge of taking a crucial life decision.

In 2024, five years after the Covid 19 pandemic hit the earth, many people still feel mentally stressed and remind themselves how to socialize. A clumsy Instagram crazy rich kid Ruhi takes a trip across Europe in an attempt to learn more about herself.
This book weaves the guiding principle of Minimalism in an anthology of part-fictional and part-real experiences. There are exercises and challenges given at the end of each chapter to drive home this philosophy.

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