Northern Writers' Awards show abundance of talent
Winners applauded in Newcastle
Twenty seven writers have received support worth £75,000 in the latest round of Northern Writers’ Awards run by New Writing North.
The total package includes £64,300 in cash bursaries with the additional value accounted for by mentorship opportunities.
The annual awards, as old as the century now, have helped to bring many writing projects to fruition and every year sees lustre added to the litany of success.
In the last year previous winners have been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (Rozie Kelly), won the Goldsmiths Prize for fiction (C. D. Rose) and won the Forward Prize for Best Collection (Vidyan Ravinthiran).
The awards also see New Writing North – based in Newcastle since it was established 30 years ago – in its Arts Council-appointed role as the development agency for writing and reading across the whole of the north of England.
Many of those applauded at Wednesday’s awards ceremony at Northumbria University were from outside the North East.
There was success, though, for Redcar’s Nate Black (Northern Debut Award for Fiction), Sarah Hunt from Whitley Bay (inaugural Great Northern Read Award), Victoria Flemming from Newcastle (Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award) and Shazia J. Altaf from Middlesbrough (Tees Valley Award).
Successful in the Young Northern Writers’ Awards were Anya Adnan from Newcastle (winner,11-14 category) and Jessie Morris from Durham (highly commended, 15-18 category).
The annual Matthew Hale Award went to Juneau Atkinson from Gateshead while the Eva Ibbotson Award went to Hidayate from Newcastle.
Shazia J. Altaf said: “I remember many years ago dreaming about being a writer and wondering what it felt like to win one of these Northern Writers’ Awards.
“What did that writer exactly feel like, what was one of those writers actually like, what thoughts ran through their head? And now I know that it can be someone ordinary just like me, a kid from the ’boro who used to live in a nook in the library devouring paper books like sweets.”
Thanking New Writing North for “seeing something in my words”, she said winning made “such a difference”.
Sarah Hunt said winning and being recognised was “such a confidence boost at this stage”.
“As a first-time novel writer, the chance to receive bespoke mentoring from Johnson & Alcock is invaluable in taking the next steps towards publication.”
Anna Power, managing director at literary agency Johnson & Alcock, partner on the Great Northern Read Award, said: “The list was rich and diverse and included action-packed urban fantasy, original speculative fiction and gripping suspense.”
She described Sarah Hunt’s winning read, The Fox at the Door, as “an engrossing and beautifully observed novel with a dark mystery at its heart.
“Sarah is a terrific talent and we really look forward to working with her on developing her work.”
Professor Lisanne Gibson, pro vice-chancellor, faculty of society and culture, Northumbria University, said the awards were “an invaluable platform to ensure that new writing talents from this region get the recognition they deserve.
“Sponsoring these awards since 2012 is just one way Northumbria University expresses its deep commitment to supporting the creative industries in the North East.
“As we celebrate the nominees and winners, we will also be celebrating and supporting the next generation of writers this region has to offer.”
Will Mackie, senior programme manager (talent development) at New Writing North, said: “Our approach to working with writers is to give them time and resources to enrich their craft and to make bridges between them and the industry.
“We’re fortunate to work in the North with its diverse literary heritage and abundance of new talent, and we know that more northern writers on our bookshelves enhances the reading and writing culture for everyone.”
The full list of 2026 winners can be found on the New Writing North website.