Lise Gold Wins the 2026 Kindle Storyteller Award

Lise Gold has won the 2026 Kindle Storyteller Award, and the £20,000 prize, for Sloane Archer Gets What She Deserves. About Amazon reported that she has been awarded £20,000 for that sapphic novel, and that 2026 marks ten years of the award. The same page says the prize was presented at a 10th anniversary awards party at The London Library. ChannelX reported on November 6, 2026, that the award "was presented last night" at that party.

The book and the writer

The About Amazon page says it was updated on 5 November 2026. It describes Gold as an LGBTQ+ author who resigned from a design job almost ten years ago and first turned to writing in search of a new passion. It says that since publishing her debut in 2017 she has written over thirty romantic novels under the pen name Madeleine Taylor. It says Sloane Archer Gets What She Deserves was inspired by her own road trips across the US, and calls it a laugh-out-loud, slow-burn sapphic romantic comedy that follows socialite Sloane through terrible decisions, ruined manicures, and a run in with the law that turns out to be a gift.

The page says that after querying publishers and finding there was less space for LGBTQIA+ storytelling in traditional publishing, she turned to self-publishing. On the win, it quotes her: "Ten years ago when I decided to quit my day job to give writing a go and self-publish my work, I could have never imagined where it would lead." She went on: "I didn't have a grand plan to become an author, but somehow, I'm still doing it!" And: "Self-publishing has given me incredible opportunities, and it's been an amazing honour to be recognised by this award." She added: "I'm endlessly grateful to my wonderful readers and the self-publishing community for inspiring me to keep telling my stories."

Who picked it

About Amazon and ChannelX both say readers help choose the initial shortlist, with bestseller rankings and reader reviews considered. A panel then chooses the winner. The factors named on both pages are plot, originality, creativity of content, and the quality and style of writing. This year's judges, both pages say, were Pip Landers-Letts, the 2025 winner; Jen Barrett, UK KDP manager at Amazon; and bestselling author Freya North.

ChannelX quoted Barrett: "This year marks a milestone of 10 years of championing independent authors across the UK with the Kindle Storyteller Award." She also said: "This year we received thousands of entries, and the judging panel worked long and hard to whittle down a shortlist of excellent books to decide our winner." And: "Lise's book drew us in from page one; its incredible storytelling and quality of writing led me to read it all in one sitting." She added: "It's always wonderful to see writing talent supported by Kindle Direct Publishing, granting authors the ability to take control of their publishing and forge their path and writing career." And: "We look forward to seeing where Lise goes next."

Who could enter

About Amazon calls the prize a literary award for the UK's best self-published story, for new and established independent writers in any genre, with a £20,000 prize fund each year. With this book, the page says, Gold becomes the tenth English language winner. It says the award was open to any novel of over 24 pages in the English language, published on Kindle Direct Publishing between May 1 and August 31, 2026. ChannelX gives the same window, from the 1st of May to the 31st of August, 2026, and the same floor of over 24 pages.

The entry rules on the About Amazon page say the competition is open each year to writers aged 18 or over who publish through Kindle Direct Publishing, in English, in any genre. They also say titles must have a minimum of 24 pages in paperback and must be enrolled in Kindle Direct Publishing Select while they are in the competition. The page says entries for the 2027 Kindle Storyteller Award will open in spring 2027, and points readers to amazon.co.uk/storyteller for the shortlisted books.

The shortlist and earlier winners

After thousands of entries, About Amazon says the shortlist is five books, spanning cosy crime, sapphic romance, children's science fiction, romance, and crime thriller. The headings are Sloane Archer Gets What She Deserves by Lise Gold, Wilful Cruelty by Rhys Dylan, Burning Secrets by Hanna Ellis, A Summer of Love at Saffron Bay by LK Wilde, and Robots At Morning Light by Paul Ian Cross. The note under Wilful Cruelty calls it the twentieth novel from Rhys Dylan and says the Black Beacons Murder Mystery series is his return to crime.

Previous winners named on the About Amazon page include Pyg by Pip Landers-Letts, Stateside by JD Kirk, and King Of War by Peter Gibbons. It says that since winning the award in 2024, JD Kirk has gone on to write his first psychological thriller, which is due to be released later this year.