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Sunday Times Young Writer of Year award reveals sponsor change
The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award has announced changes to its sponsorship with the University of Warwick its title partner and Caroline Michel, c.e.o. of literary agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop, becoming its first patron.
Previously the Sunday Times/Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award, Warwick has been the associate sponsor of the influential prize for young writers since 2017. Organisers say Michel will stay on as a guiding figure.
Andrew Holgate, literary editor of the Sunday Times, said: “I couldn’t be happier that the University of Warwick have stepped up to become the Young Writer Award’s main partner. And I couldn’t be more grateful to Caroline Michel and Peters Fraser + Dunlop for helping to revive the prize and inject new energy into it.
“We have all worked so closely together as partners – Warwick, PFD and the Sunday Times – to help champion young British and Irish writers, so it feels entirely appropriate that Caroline becomes patron, and the University of Warwick becomes lead partner. The award has already come a very long way in the last four years, and with the University of Warwick’s help, and the support of their much-admired Warwick Writing Programme, there is an awful lot more we can do.”
Michel added: “The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award has always been one of enormous significance and it has been such a privilege and such fun being involved and developing the prize to where it is now. Prizes like this mean so much at the beginning of a writer’s career and it’s been a joy to be involved and continue to be involved as a patron.“
Founded in 1991, the award recognises the best literary work of fiction, non- fiction or poetry by a British or Irish writer of 35 and under. £5,000 is given to the winner, and £500 to each of the three runners-up. The award was suspended in 2008, before being revitalised in 2015 with the sponsorship of Peters Fraser + Dunlop and opening up to include writers from Ireland and self-published works as well as those from publishers.
Travel author Adam Weymouth scooped last year’s prize with Kings of the Yukon (Particular Books). The year before Sally Rooney won for Conversations with Friends (Faber) with Max Porter taking the prize for Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Faber) in 2016.
Submissions for the 2019 prize, administered by the Society of Authors, are open between 9th June and 14th June 2019. The shortlist will be announced in November with the winner revealed on 5th December.
