The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers returns for fifth year  

The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers returns for its fifth year, offering one year’s free membership to Campaign for National Parks, a £300 paid commission to write a National Parks-inspired piece for Viewpoint Magazine and an Arvon course of choice. 

The winner will also receive three one-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner, a one-hour mentoring session with a literary agent and a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group. 

The prize, which aims to break down barriers, was set up in 2020 by the writer Natasha Carthew to create opportunity for working-class nature writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. It is supported by Arvon Foundation, the Campaign for National Parks and Gaia, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group. The prize is free to enter and encourages self-identifying working-class writers from all over the UK, whether they live in the country or in towns, cities and other spaces.

Judges confirmed for this year’s prize include authors Dr Anjana Khatwa, Niellah Arboine and Tony Putman; literary agent Harriet Poland; publishing professional Polly Smith; Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller; Juliet Pickering, vice-head of books at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency; Stephanie Jackson, publisher at Octopus Publishing Group; last year’s winner Kirsty Whatley; and Carthew, writer and founder of the prize. 

Entries for the prize open on 6th March and close on 19th April 2024. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 2nd July. 

Carthew said: “I’m delighted to see our prize return for its fifth year, providing a platform to not only break down barriers for working-class writers, but to celebrate the diversity that exists in nature writing. Bursting the stereotype of what it means to be a nature writer is at the heart of the prize, while championing a variety of authentic voices from across the UK, the kind of voice that doesn’t always get to be heard and isn’t always represented in the mainstream nature-writing arena. Thanks to my continued partnership with Gaia and sponsorship from the Arvon Foundation and Campaign for National Parks, I am proud to say this prize is going from strength to strength.” 

Entrants can submit up to 1,000 words of material here.