Northern Writers’ Awards
This year we’re celebrating our 25th Northern Writers’ Awards!
25 years. 400 writers. Life-changing opportunities.
The Northern Writers’ Awards are the largest writing development programme of their kind in England.
Through these Awards, we’ve found hundreds of talented, often unpublished, writers – with a focus on supporting new work-in-progress.
We’ve provided writers with thousands of pounds worth of support and career-making opportunities – including help towards publication, mentoring, manuscript assessment, writing placements, retreats, and cash awards to buy time to write.
By supporting writers at an earlier stage than most literary awards – usually before an agent or publisher is involved – winning a Northern Writers’ Award can be life-changing for a writer at a pivotal stage of their career, as well as providing a pipeline of new talent to the publishing and broadcast industries.
The Northern Writers’ Awards are produced by New Writing North and supported by Northumbria University, Arts Council England, and a range of partners. As we approach our 25th Awards, we’d like to thank all our fantastic partners and sponsors over the years – none of this would’ve been possible without their help.
“Just to have that validation, after years of slogging away… it means such a huge amount to have somebody actually say: ‘We think you can write’”
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“I was having a really hard time… [winning] was kind of like the sun coming out from behind the clouds… It gave me the encouragement to keep going”
But it doesn’t start with an award...
Winning an award can change a person’s life. But it doesn’t start there. It starts with someone believing in them. Especially when they are young.
Our young writers programmes introduce young people to creative writing – including song writing, poetry, rap, scriptwriting, and podcasting.
Over the last five years, we’ve worked with more than 10,000 children from disadvantaged and culturally diverse backgrounds across North East England. Many of them have additional needs or speak English as an additional language.
Through our carefully designed creative writing programmes and activities, led by expert writers and facilitators, we’ve helped these young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
We’ve watched their talents grow, their creativity flourish – and their school attendance improve, too.
And all this, at no cost to the young people or their families.
But we can’t do it alone.
...it starts with someone believing in you
With regular support from people like you, we can help to cover the costs of providing these programmes and activities – and provide new opportunities and life-changing chances.
Together, we can help these young people have the tools they need to express emotions, feel empowered, and have a voice in society. To know that they matter. That people believe in them.
Kindly supported by
The Northern Writers’ Awards are produced by New Writing North and supported by Northumbria University, Arts Council England, and a range of partners.
