The largest and longest-running writer development programme in England is now open for entries, deadline 6 February 2025.
Founded and produced by New Writing North with support from Northumbria University and Arts Council England, the Northern Writers’ Awards are now in their 26th year.
The Northern Writers’ Awards comprise a suite of awards covering a range of genres including poetry, fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult, middle-grade fiction and short stories. The submission window for the awards varies but all winners will be announced in June 2025.
The Northern Writers’ Awards deliver crucial support for writers at an earlier stage than most literary awards, usually before an agent or publisher is involved.
As such, they have an enviable track record for identifying some of the country’s best unpublished writing, providing a pipeline of new talent to the publishing and broadcast industries.
Previous winners include Mari Hannah, Tawseef Khan, Gráinne O'Hare, Katie Hale, Kit Fan, Benjamin Myers, Okechukwu Nzelu, Andrew McMillan, Helen Mort, Sharma Walfall and Hannah Hodgson.
Will Mackie, Senior Programme Manager (Talent Development) and Programme Leader (MA in Publishing), said: “Launching the Northern Writers’ Awards is always a highlight of the year for New Writing North. We continue to build the reputation of this flagship programme and could not be more proud of the impact of our Awards.
“We identify talented writers, create opportunities and guide writers towards their individual goals. We act as a bridge between industry and the exceptional artistic talent in the North. This work is made possible through the support of our lead partners, Arts Council England, Northumbria University, Hachette Children’s Group, Channel 4 and a wide range of industry partners and individual donors. I am also grateful for the expertise of our amazing judges and the continued dedication of the highly skilled team at New Writing North.”
The winners of the Northern Writers’ Awards receive a wide range of support and opportunities, including mentoring, manuscript assessment, writing placements, and cash awards to buy time to write.
Richard T. Kelly, novelist and Associate Professor in English and Creative Writing at Northumbria University, said: "There are no limits on what northern writers are capable of, though sometimes the broader culture looks only so far and sees no further. But the Northern Writers’ Awards are an invaluable platform to ensure that writing talents from the region are properly recognised, across their diversity of styles, genres, and formal approaches. Northumbria University remains, as always, very proud and thrilled to support New Writing North’s invaluable initiative, and we eagerly await all the fine writing that this year’s programme will bring forth."
Judges for 2025 include the Scottish poet and essayist Kathleen Jamie for the Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry and the Northern Debut Awards for Poetry.
Kathleen Jamie’s poetry collections include The Overhaul, which won the 2012 Costa Poetry Prize, and The Tree House, which won the Forward prize. From 2021-24, Kathleen served as Scotland’s Makar, or National Poet.
Kathleen said: “It’s always exciting, and challenging, to see new writers emerge. I’m greatly looking forward to judging this award, and would urge all emergent poets in the North of England to apply.”
The novelist and poet Kit Fan and interdisciplinary artist Tice Cin will judge the Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction, the Northern Debut Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction and the Northumbria Student and Alumni Award.
Tice Cin is a music journalist, DJ, music producer, filmmaker, and author of Keeping the House, named as one of the Guardian’s Best Books of 2021. Kit Fan's first novel is Diamond Hill, and his poetry collection The Ink Cloud Reader was shortlisted for the Forward Prize and T.S. Eliot Prize.
Kit Fan said: “I’m thrilled to join the judging panel for 2025 Northern Writers' Awards. My first novel wouldn't have seen the light of day without getting a Northern Writers' Award for Fiction in 2018. I look forward to reading well-crafted narratives with vivid characters caught up in the beauty and chaos of our times.”
Agent Sandra Sawicka has been announced as a judge of the Northern Debut Award for Young Adult Fiction and the Young Northern Writers’ Awards. Sandra joined the Marjacq literary agency in 2014, with an interest is genre fiction, including horror, gothic, crime, and Young Adult fiction.
Sandra Sawicka said: “I’m delighted to be one of this year’s judges for New Writers North. I can’t wait to see what talent we are going to discover.”
Also, already open for entries is the Hachette Children’s Novel Awards, for debut writers of middle-grade children’s fiction and early teen fiction. Submission deadline is 13 January 2025, with two winners receiving £3000 cash prize and a programme of mentoring opportunities within Hachette Children’s Group and New Writing North.
Georgina Mitchell, editor at Hachette Children’s Group who was born in West Yorkshire and is one of the judges for the Hachette Children’s Novel Award, said: “As a northerner, I know the talent that the north of England has to offer, so I am excited to be a judge for the Hachette Children’s Novel Award, supporting that very talent and encouraging diversity in children’s publishing. Every child should be able to see themselves in the books they read, and every author should have the chance to tell their story.”
The full suite of awards is made possible by a range of vital partnerships with Arvon, Bonafide Films, Channel 4, Hachette Children’s Group, Rollem Productions, Red Production Company, The Literary Consultancy, Newcastle University, The North Literary Agency, Oneworld Publications, The Society of Authors, ALCS, the Michael Marks Charitable Trust as well as generous donations from individual donors including the Hale family, Andrew McMillan and Benjamin Myers.
Further award categories open in February 2025, including the Tempest Prize for LGBTQ+ writers based in the North, The Finchale Award for Short Fiction, the Arvon Award, the Northern Promise TLC Read Awards and the Sid Chaplin Award for writers from working-class backgrounds.
To find out more and enter, go to the New Writing North website: https://newwritingnorth.com/northern-writers-awards
