National Centre for Writing names six writers for Talent Development scheme

The National Centre for Writing (NCW) has named six winners of its Escalator Talent Development scheme, a programme for East Anglian writers whose “voices are underrepresented on UK bookshelves.”

Now in its 17th year, the annual scheme is open to unpublished fiction writers living in the Eastern region (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk).

The 2022/23 winners are Miriam Balanescu, Siobhan Costello, Sibi Datta, George Harrison, Richard Queensborough and Debbie Vince.

Over the next 10 months, each writer will receive a package of support including one-to-one mentoring from established writers, a residential retreat with tailored development workshops, peer support and a final showcase to agents and publishers.

This year’s mentors are Michael Donkor, Yvvette Edwards and Kate Worsley. Donkor and Worsley are former alumni of the Escalator programme who have gone on to publish prize-winning and critically acclaimed novels.

The winners met their mentors, and each other, for the first time at the inaugural Escalator event hosted at the National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, on 26th November 2022.

Vince, who began writing in her fifties when she moved to Norwich, said: “I was so excited to be offered a place on the prestigious Escalator programme and to find myself in the company of such talented writers.

“I look forward to this unique opportunity to grow as a writer with the support of my mentor, and to familiarise myself with the industry in the hope of being published one day."

Another of the winners, Sibi Datta from Cambridge, who retired a few years ago from a career in science, said: “I am thrilled to be offered the chance to develop my writing further and look forward hugely to mentoring by the wonderful Michael Donkor.”

A further five writers were highly commended: Emily Abdeni-Holman, Amanda Harvey, Kerry Anne Mackereth, Sue Saunders and Simone St Rose.

Laura Stimson, programme manager at the National Centre for Writing, said: “Escalator has a long history of supporting and celebrating writers in their early careers. We’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with some extraordinary people in the programme’s lifetime and this year’s cohort is no exception. Bringing to the fore those writers’ whose voices are not widely represented on UK bookshelves is especially important and places the programme in a unique and exciting position.”

Escalator is funded by the Amazon Literary Partnership and donors to the "Escalator Needs Your Help" campaign. So far, £3,075 of this year’s £8,000 public fundraising target has been raised – with all proceeds going towards supporting this year’s cohort. Further information can be found here.