Shortlist for Working-Class Nature Writing Prize revealed

Jeni Bell, Wesley Finch, Ewan Jenkins, Tina Jones, Maggie Langford and Emma Witcutt have been shortlisted for this year’s Nature Writing Prize for Working-Class Writers.

Founded by Natasha Carthew in 2020, the prize is free to enter and recognises unpublished works of up to 1,000 words in any literary category. The annual competition is open to self-identified working class writers resident in the UK and not previously published in book form.

The winner will be announced at the prize-giving ceremony this Friday 18th November at the 2022 FutureBook conference, which coincides with the launch of The Bookseller’s working-class issue, guest edited by Carthew. 

The prize includes one year’s free membership to Campaign for National Parks, a £300 paid commission to write a National Parks-inspired piece for Viewpoint Magazine, an Arvon Course of choice, three one-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner, and a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group.

This year Octopus imprint Gaia joined the Arvon Foundation and The Campaign for National Parks as sponsors. 

The judging panel is comprised of Carthew, Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller, Juliet Pickering, vice head of books at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, and Stephanie Jackson, publisher at Octopus Publishing Group.