Northern Writers' Awards winners announced in record-breaking year for entries

Twenty-nine writers from the north of England received awards worth more than £50,000 at the Northern Writers’ Awards, in a record-breaking year for entries.

The awards were founded in 2000, produced by New Writing North with support from Northumbria University and Arts Council England, to spotlight talent and support new work towards publication or broadcast. Now in their 23rd year, they are the largest writing development programme of their kind in England. The 29 were chosen from a record-breaking 2,035 entries in 2022.

The announcement was made on 5th July as the annual awards programme held its first live celebration since 2019.The event took place at Northumbria University and was hosted by 2013 winner Andrew McMillan. 

The event also featured previous winners including Yvonne Battle-Felton, whose Northern Writers’ Awards-winning book Remembered (Dialogue Books) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize; Jayshree Patel, who won a Channel 4 Writing for Television Award in 2016, launching her career as a television writer on "Hollyoaks"; two-time award winner Shaun Wilson; and poet Linda France, who won an award for her work in 2012.

Individual awards are financed by institutions including Newcastle University and The North Literary Agency, and individuals including author Benjamin Myers and the families and friends of Andrea Badenoch, Sid Chaplin and Matthew Hale. Several of the awards are enhanced by partnerships with Saraband, Arvon, the Literary Consultancy, the Society of Authors, Rollem Productions, Lime Pictures, Bonafide Films, Out-Spoken Press, Oneworld, The Madeleine Milburn Agency and The Soho Agency.  

Chief executive of New Writing North Claire Malcolm said: “We are very proud of the awards and the impact that they have on writers – taking many talented people on the journey from aspiring to published authors. Our talent spotting is of the highest calibre and the alumni of the awards now tells its own story of how many talented writers there are in the North to be discovered. Writing from the north continues to flourish and New Writing North’s role as the discovery agent continues to strengthen.

"I’ve been especially touched this year that Benjamin Myers, a former recipient of an award, has returned this year to sponsor his own award. A wonderful demonstration of how valuable writers find our support and how they want to pass it on when their own careers take off. The Northern Writers’ Awards, spanning as they do Rotherham to Berwick and everywhere in between continue to be a very special programme. It is fantastic this year to return to a live event in Newcastle and to bring writers, publishers, agents and friends to the city to celebrate the north.”

Author and fiction and narrative non-fiction judge Tahmima Anam added: “I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to judge the Northern Writers’ Awards. I was very impressed with all the submissions: writers tackling everything from their identity to larger issues. The quality of the writing was overall very impressive, and we actually had some pretty tough decisions to make. It was a really satisfying process and I congratulate all the writers and wish them all the best.”

The awards in full

Northern Writers’ Award for Fiction
Katie Hale

Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry
Kit Fan
Hannah Hodgson
Suzanne Batty

NorthBound Book Award
Julia Rampen

Hachette Children’s Novel Award
Karon Alderman

Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards - Lime Pictures
Tom Smith

Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards - Rollem Productions
Natalie Beech

Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards - Bonafide Films
Natalie Mirosch

Northern Debut Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction
Gráinne O’Hare
Stephanie Gavan

Northern Debut Award for Young Adult Fiction
Anna Quirke

Northern Debut Awards for Poetry
Gregory Kearns
Nicky Kippax

Northern Debut Award for Poetry: Out-Spoken Press Programme
Elizabeth Chadwick Pywell
Andrea Badenoch Award
Ally North

Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award
Susannah Ronnie
Sid Chaplin Award
Andrew Ballantyne (Winner)
Ruskin Smith (Highly commended)

Finchale Award for Short Fiction
Jack Joslin

TLC Free Read
Jessie Jacobs
Khatijah Balu

Arvon Award
Catherine Spooner

Young Northern Writers’ Awards
Izzy Baillie Smith (Winner, 11-14)
Ella Youngs (Highly commended, 11-14)
Sawyer Brook (Winner, 15-18)
Hala Mukhair (Highly commended, 15-18)

Matthew Hale Award
Nefeli Frida (Winner)
Isabelle Pollard (Highly commended)