Charlotte Aitken Trust to support early career writers as part of Northern Writers’ Awards 2026
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The Charlotte Aitken Trust have awarded New Writing North £29,000 to support the development of early career published writers currently living in the North of England.
The Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards will become part of the New Writing North’s Northern Writers’ Awards in 2026. Four successful writers will receive a bursary of £5,000 and have access to a programme of support from New Writing North.
The awards are open to writers of fiction, poetry, or narrative non-fiction who have had their work professionally published. The aim is to support writers at a pivotal point in their careers as they develop new work towards publication.
The Charlotte Aitken Trust is dedicated to the support of literature, writing and reading. It is funded by the estate of the celebrated literary agent Gillon Aitken (1938-2016) in the name of his only daughter Charlotte, who died in 2011 at the age of 27.
The Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards will be judged by Irenosen Okojie, Hellie Ogden, and John Glenday. Submissions will open on 5 December and close on 26 February 2026 as part of the Northern Writers’ Awards.
Will Mackie, Senior Manager (Talent Development), New Writing North, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the wonderful Charlotte Aitken Trust for their generous support of this much-needed part of our awards portfolio. Now more than ever, early career published writers face significant financial, creative, and wellbeing challenges. The Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards will give writers valuable time and space to navigate delicate transitions between projects and develop work-in-progress. We’re looking forward to finding the four winning writers of these awards who will become part of a community forged through 26 years of the Northern Writers’ Awards.”