Winners of the Northern Writers’ Awards 2024 unveiled

The 25 winners of the 25th Northern Writers’ Awards have been unveiled. Selected from 2,760 entries—a record-breaking number—each year the awards identify some of the best unpublished writing in the country, with the overall prize pot worth £50,000.

The Northern Writers’ Awards were founded by New Writing North in 2000. Awards offered in this round are supported by partners including Northumbria University, Arts Council England, Hachette Children’s Group, Newcastle University, The North Literary Agency, Arvon, The Literary Consultancy, the writers Benjamin Myers and Andrew McMillan and the families and friends of Sid Chaplin and Matthew Hale.

In 2023, more than a dozen books by previous award winners were published, including Black Fell by Mari Hannah (Orion), A Dark Inheritance by H F Askwith (Penguin) and Cuddy by Benjamin Myers (Bloomsbury). Already this year, at least 14 more Northern Writers’ Awards winners have new books out, including: Pity, Andrew McMillan (Canongate); Dark Flood, Karon Alderman (Orion Children’s Books); The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands, Sarah Brooks (W&N); Determination, Tawseef Khan (Footnote Press); Running Away for Beginners, Mark Illis (Scholastic); The Wives of Halcyon, Eirinie Lapidaki (Legend Press); Something to be Proud Of, Anna Zoe Quirke (Little Tiger); and Slip, Amelia Loulli (Jonathan Cape).

This year’s winners include Jane Claire Bradley, who wins her second Northern Writers’ Award and £5,000 for her short story collection-in-progress Teen Sprits; and Lucy Burnett, who wins a Northern Writers’ Award for Poetry and £3,000 to support her collection-in-progress The Long Wood. Alicia Byrne has won the inaugural Tempest Prize, £1,000 and mentoring with Andrew McMillan. The Tempest Prize was founded in 2023 by the previous Northern Writers’ Awards winner Andrew McMillan to support new writing from the north by LGBTQ+ writers.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence, novelist and Northern Writers’ Awards judge, said: "It was a complete honour to be a Northern Writers’ Awards judge this year. Congratulations to all the worthy winners; thank you for allowing me into your respective worlds. But whether you took home the top prize or not, this is just the beginning of the journey. Keep going."

Rachel Mann, literary agent and Northern Writers’ Awards judge, said: "It was an absolute pleasure to read through this year’s longlists, and discuss their many merits with Ashley. Each entry was wonderful in its own way reflecting the wealth of literary talent we have in the North."

J J Arcanjo, novelist and Hachette Children’s Novel Awards judge, said: "It has been a genuine honour to be a part of the Hachette Children’s Novel Award judging panel and getting to read the brilliant stories penned by our talented shortlist of Northern writers. Huge congratulations to our two winners—your stories were clever and fun and, perhaps most importantly, got us all very excited for the future of children’s books."

Will Mackie, senior programme manager and programme leader (MA in Publishing) at New Writing North, added: “Now 25 years old, the Northern Writers’ Awards are more essential and relevant than ever. Our programme continues to offer transformational support to writers in the North of England as we evolve trusted models of talent development and forge lasting connections with the book trade. The long-term investment in writing talent made by New Writing North and our partners has contributed to an enlivening and diversification of literature and publishing, benefiting readers and writers of all ages and backgrounds. We’re delighted to be introducing our 2024 winning writers at this year’s awards and are hugely grateful to our lead partners at Northumbria University and all the funders, donors and supporters who make these awards possible."

The list of the 2024 Northern Writers’ Awards

Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction

Jane Claire Bradley, from Greater Manchester

Northern Debut Awards for Fiction

Beth L Thompson, from Prescot

Cindy Withjack, from Malton

Northern Debut Award for Young Adult Fiction

Letty Sharpe, from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear

Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry

Lucy Burnett, from Cockermouth

Roma Havers, from Manchester

Northern Debut Awards for Poetry

Tom Branfoot, from Bradford

Jazmine Linklater, from Manchester

Callan Waldron-Hall, from Liverpool

Hachette Children’s Novel Awards

Sophie Clarke, from Darwen

Gavin Crippin, from Manchester

Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award

Stephen McGowan, from Sunderland

Tempest Prize

Alicia Byrne, from Preston

Sid Chaplin Awards

Adam Barrett, from County Durham

Jessica Holmes, from Durham

Finchale Award for Short Fiction

Abby Walker, from County Durham

Northern Promise TLC Awards

Paula Blair, from Newcastle upon Tyne

Daisy Costello, from Newcastle upon Tyne

Arvon Award

Laura Tisdall, from Whitley Bay

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

Winner (11-14 years) Eeva Tudor, from Cramlington

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

Winner (15-18 years) Cory Gourley, from Newcastle upon Tyne

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

Highly Commended (11-14 years) Yaqub Rahman, from Gateshead

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

Highly Commended (15-18 years) Isabella Merino Garzon, from Sheffield

Matthew Hale Award

Winner Ebony Marshall, from Newcastle upon Tyne

Matthew Hale Award

Highly Commended Mikael Ali, from Newcastle upon Tyne