Penmancy PitchFest S2
Penmancy PitchFest 2.0 was conducted in association with Readomania, continuing Penmancy’s commitment to discovering work that can withstand time, not just trends.
Over several months, a dedicated jury engaged deeply with submitted sample manuscripts as they read, re-read, and evaluated them not for instant appeal, but for voice, intent, and craft. The process was rigorous and deliberately slow, allowing the strongest work to emerge without compromise.
At its conclusion, two manuscripts were selected for publication, each having survived sustained critical examination rather than momentary judgment.
PitchFest 2.0 reaffirmed a simple belief: meaningful writing deserves patience, and the right readers.
The winners of this event were:
The Mildly Chaotic World of Chi Kenny by Khusbhoo Shah
Welcome to LittleTown, where Chi Kenny, a bespectacled chicken with googly eyes, enjoys an idyllic life—until a factory farm conglomerate takes over his land and seizes his pet homin family: Adam, Eve, and Apple. Witnessed by an unnamed ghostly human narrator, Kenny is thrust into the ruthless world of factory farming, dominated by massive dairy farms, automated slaughterhouses, and exploitative markets. Determined to save Adam, Kenny takes on the system with a crew of oddball allies.
Can an ordinar chicken spark a revolution against exploitation?
And, who is the mysterious narrator?
This disquietingly dystopian, yet scathingly satirical tale, filled with whimsical puns, will jolt you out of your indifference!
Pronounced Guilty by Monica Singh
Dushyant Dave, a disillusioned advocate, spearheads a radical mission: Bandi Mukti Morcha, India’s first open-prison dedicated to rehabilitating criminals serving life sentences. Joining him are Vijendar Singh, a reluctant ex-convict, and Dr Anusuya Savarkar, a seasoned psychologist, both harbouring their own demons. As inmate resistance and political agendas mount, secrets unravel and trusts shatter; the project teetering on collapse.
Can this unlikely trio bridge their differences to make the program a success or will Bandi Mukti Morcha crumble under the weight of its own ambition?
Will society ever embrace a second chance for those it has pronounced guilty?
Pronounced Guilty is not just a novel—it’s a reflection of the world we live in. Step inside the courtroom of conscience and explore the price of justice, the weight of guilt, and the echoes of redemption.
