Kildare resident wins over €23,000 as part of Amazon's Sixth Annual Kindle Storyteller Award

A Kildare resident received Amazon's Sixth Annual Kindle Storyteller Award on Monday, October 24 last.

Peter Gibbons, who lives in Calverstown, was crowned the sixth (and this year’s) Kindle Storyteller Award winner for his book, King of War, at a ceremony that took place in the Houses of Parliament.

The event was sponsored by Julian Knight MP, Chair of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.  

The £20,000 (around €23,215.70) prize was announced by bestselling author Adam Kay at a ceremony held in the Houses of Parliament.

Reacting to his win, Peter Gibbons said: "I am absolutely delighted and honoured to have won this year's award. I have always dreamed of becoming an author and I would like to thank Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for opening the door and making that ambition a possibility.

"KDP allows everybody with a dream to publish their work for readers, and stories which otherwise would remain hidden in desk drawers or locked in our imaginations can find their way to kindle ereaders and bedside tables across the world," he added.

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'GRIPPING'

The 2022 judging panel included guest judge and bestselling author Adam Kay, last year’s Kindle Storyteller winner Rachel McLean, best-selling author Mel Sherratt and Organisation Member Manager for ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) Melissa Addey, Amazon UK’s Author and Editorial Programmes Manager Darren Hardy and Jen Barrett, Amazon Books Editorial. 

Their comments on King of War commended its 'gripping' plot and narrative, noting that they were 'instantly taken in by the action-packed plot and sensitively drawn characters', even without the context of the previous books in the series.

Ultimately, King of War 'stood out as the book that captured the judges attention and stayed with them long after finishing, with many commenting that they are eager to read the next instalment.'

Darren Hardy, Author and Editorial Programmes Manager at Amazon UK, who chaired the judging panel, added: "Submissions were incredibly strong again this year, and it was a delight to delve into the shortlisted books, from romance novels to tight suspenseful thrillers and of course, Peter’s Viking adventure.

"King of War had me hooked from the beginning, and I’m looking forward to following the Viking Blood and Blade Saga as it continues. It’s incredible to see such talent being supported by Kindle Direct Publishing, where authors take control of their publishing, deciding when and how they publish their books and earning great royalties on their sales."

In addition to the prize money, Peter Gibbons will receive a marketing campaign to support the book on Amazon.co.uk alongside a bespoke gold Kindle cover, which was presented to him at the ceremony evening.

Launched in 2007, Kindle Direct Publishing (also known as KDP) makes it easier for people to self-publish.

For more information about the Kindle Storyteller Award and to read more about King of War by Peter Gibbons and the shortlisted books, please visit www.amazon.co.uk/storyteller.

Peter Gibbons. Pic: David Parry/PA Wire

Originally from Warrington, Peter now lives in County Kildare with his family.

Despite always having ambitions of becoming an author, he only began writing books when the pandemic forced him to spend more time at home and discovered Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) as a way to self-publish his novels.

Gibbons still balances writing with his career as a financial services worker and has found a routine of getting up early in the morning before his three kids to write every day before work, and in just over a year has published four books.