Leading independent bookshop, Goldsboro Books, last night unveiled Fresh Ink - the UK’s first subscription service dedicated entirely to debut literary fiction - during an exclusive event at its flagship London store to celebrate the winner of the 2025 Glass Bell Award.
Debut writer Rosanna Pike’s dazzling historical novel A Little Trickerie (Fig Tree)
captured the judges’ imaginations and was crowned as this year’s winner.
Drawing on their deep industry knowledge and trusted reputation, the Goldsboro team will hand-pick one debut each month for subsribers, selecting a novel that promises to “surprise, move, and linger long after the final page.” The subscription is aimed at people who love to discover tomorrow’s stars in their original form, giving members the thrill
of being among the first to champion a voice the world has yet to discover.
Goldsboro’s subscription legacy began with the launch of the Prem1er Club in 2005, the UK’s first signed first-edition subscription. Over the past two decades, it has introduced readers to countless debut novels that went on to become international bestsellers and award winners, including The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, Before
I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson, and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Building on this success, Goldsboro launched two additional clubs: the Goldsboro Sci-fi and Fantasy Fellowship and the Goldsboro Crime Collective, connecting with communities of readers passionate about specific genres.
David Headley, Managing Director of Goldsboro Books, said: “PREM1ER has always been deeply personal to me, and it’s where Goldsboro’s mission of championing new authors truly began. Fresh Ink builds on that mission, giving debut writers a powerful platform and offering readers a chance to be part of their very first steps.” Fresh Ink represents the next evolution, designed to connect with a younger, digitally engaged generation of readers and collectors who value beautifully produced, shareable editions and the joy of discovery.
The first two Fresh Ink titles will be:
JANUARY: The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson – haunting, sinister, and steeped in Welsh folklore, this striking debut explores a lost way of life and the terrifying lengths we go to in order to protect what we know.
FEBRUARY: Lost Lambs by Madeleine Cash – rippling with humour, warmth, and style, this unforgettable novel offers a stunning portrait of the perverse pleasures and perils of our most intimate reality: family.
Fresh Ink members will receive:
• A special signed, limited first edition of each chosen debut
• 15% off all purchases from Goldsboro Books for the duration of their membership
• Exclusive content and experiences, including author interviews, intimate evening events, and behind-the-scenes insights
Last night’s event also celebrated the 2025 Glass Bell Award, which honours compelling storytelling with brilliant characterisation and a distinct voice, across all genres.
This year’s winner, Rosanna Pike, was recognised for A Little Trickerie, a richly imagined tale of secrets and illusions.
She was selected from a shortlist that included some of the year’s biggest novels, including runaway bestseller The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, the internationally acclaimed James by Percival Everett, as well as Chris Whitaker’s All the Colours of the Dark, Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky, and The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to
Wastelands by Sarah Brooks.
Commenting on this year’s winner, David Headley said: “A Little Trickerie captivated us from the very first page. Daring, inventive, and beautifully written, it balances sharp wit with real emotional depth. The characters are alive with nuance, the narrative both playful and profound, surprising us at every turn. Above all, it’s a novel we found impossible
to put down, and equally impossible to forget”.
About The Glass Bell Award
Launched in 2017, the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award is awarded annually to an outstanding work of contemporary fiction, rewarding quality storytelling in any genre.
The winner of the Glass Bell will receive £2,000 in prize money, and a handmade, engraved glass bell. The jury of ten consists of team members from Goldsboro Books. There is no fee, or limit to the number of books that a publisher may submit, allowing both established and debut authors a chance to win.
Recent winners include Costanza Casati for Clytemnestra (2024), Ayanna Lloyd Banwo for When We Were Birds (2023), Elodie Harper for The Wolf Den (2022), Clare Whitfield for People of Abandoned Character (2021), and Taylor Jenkins Reid for Daisy Jones and the Six (2020).
About Goldsboro Books
Goldsboro Books is an independent bookshop, based in central London, specialising in signed first edition books.
Providing an expert, knowledgeable team and a carefully curated range is at the heart of the business, delivering the best book-buying experience for every customer. Goldsboro Books aims to interest and inspire book lovers, readers and collectors and provide the finest quality signed books in the world. Goldsboro Books was founded in 1999 by two friends and book collectors, David Headley and Daniel Gedeon.
Their reputation for spotting quality books early on, an expert eye on the future collectibles, along with enthusiasm and passion for bookselling excellence has grown with the business and Goldsboro Books has become a world-famous and much admired bookshop. Their global reputation grew in 2013 when they were the only bookshop in the world to have signed copies of The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith, who of course turned out to be none other than J.K. Rowling.
