Poets Nina Mingya Powles and Wayne Holloway-Smith to judge the Creative Future Writers' Awards

Nina Mingya Powles and Wayne Holloway-Smith have been announced as the judges of the Creative Future Writers’ Awards (CFWA) for underrepresented writers. 

The prize fund, which will be shared by the winners, has also increased this year. It includes £23,000 worth of cash and writing development prizes supplied by publishers, authors and development agencies.

The award opens for submissions today (31st January 2024) with entries invited on the theme of "Reveal" in three categories, comprising fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. The deadline for receipt of entries is the 9th May 2024, and the winners of The Creative Future Writers’ Awards will be announced in September 2024. 

This year, there will be five winners in each category. The winning submissions, alongside work by the judges, will be published in an anthology, and the winners will take part in a showcase event at Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival in October.

Rose Kigwana, chief executive officer at Creative Future, said: “Having had the pleasure of meeting the eclectic mix of 2023 winners in my first few weeks in post, I am excited to see the range of entries for the 2024 competition.”

Matt Freidson, deputy director at Creative Future, added: “The Creative Future Writers’ Award has changed the lives of more than 100 writers, breaking down barriers and giving them a huge boost towards publication and writing careers. We’re excited to discover the untapped potential in this year’s batch of underrepresented talent.”

Alumni include Women’s Prize-longlisted author Kirsty Capes and Jarred McGinnis, winner of the 2023 Hay Festival Writer’s Award (2023). Last year’s winners include Siam Hatzaw, Vera Zakharov, Charlie Rose Evans and Jay Mitra.