Johnson & Alcock to deliver new award as part of the Northern Writers’ Awards
Posted by
Literary agency Johnson & Alcock will support a new award – the Great Northern Read Award – for debut writers based in the North of England, in partnership with New Writing North. One successful writer will receive the award each year from 2026 to 2028. The Great Northern Read Award was devised by Johnson & Alcock to offer a fresh and exciting opportunity for emerging writers based in the North of England.
The award will cover the spectrum of commercial, genre and book club fiction, with the emphasis on gripping, immersive storytelling. The award will be open to genres including, but not limited to, crime, mystery, historical, romance, fantasy, sci-fi and book club fiction.
Successful writers will be awarded: £2,500 prize money; bespoke mentoring support with the Johnson & Alcock team; and access to New Writing North support including membership to the Society of Authors, networking events and one-to-one support from their experienced talent development team.
The Great Northern Read Award will become part of the Northern Writers’ Awards. Established in 1999 by New Writing North to support new and emerging writers the Northern Writers’ Awards has supported over 400 writers to date.
Applications for the first Great Northern Read Award will open in November 2025 and selected in June 2026.