Impact case study: HF Askwith

Writer of twisty Young Adult fantasy, Heather Askwith won the Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award at the 2017 Northern Writers’ Awards, at the end of studying for her Creative Writing MA.

Winning the award led to Heather attending New Writing North’s Summer Talent Party that year, where she had the opportunity to network with agents and publishing professionals and received multiple requests for her manuscript before she signed with her agent James Wills at Watson, Little.

Her debut novel A Dark Inheritance was published by Penguin in January 2023, followed by A Cruel Twist of Fate in January 2024.

Heather said: “Winning a Northern Writers’ Award sparked everything for my writing career. The support offered by New Writing North led to me meeting and signing with my agent and achieving my dream of being published.”

Heather has worked with New Writing North to deliver sessions for their Young Writers’ Programme, been a mentor on the Creative Associates programme and in October 2023 launched the North East Novelists group to create a support network for writers in the North engaging in traditionally publishing fiction.