Warwick partners with Young Writer of the Year award

The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser & Dunlop (PFD) Young Writer of the Year Award announced on 9 December that it would be collaborating with the University of Warwick for 2017.

The award is given annually to a British or Irish author for the best piece of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. The author must be between 18 and 35. The winner is awarded £5,000 and the 3 runners-up receive £500 each.

As of 2017, Warwick will be joining The Sunday Times and PFD in this collaboration. The partnership was announced at this year’s award ceremony.

The award has been running since 1991, excluding the years 2002, 2005 and 2006.

The University will bring several new aspects to the program including a 10-week residency for the annual winner, a day festival, and a year-long program including on-campus and digital support for award alumni and the year’s runners-up.

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor of Warwick, commented: “Our support for the award is an extension of Warwick’s broader commitment to the nurture and support of literary work, particularly in emerging writer talent such as in our own student body.”

The University offer the commended Warwick Writing Program, and was named a national “centre for excellence” for creative writing by the Sunday Times in the 2016 Good University Guide.

Nelle Andrew, agent at PFD and Warwick English with Creative Writing graduate, said: “I know from first-hand experience that Warwick is a passionate advocate for young writers and so a partnership with them, to help new talent find a wider audience, is the perfect marriage of creative enterprise and industry endorsement.”

Andrew Holgate, literary editor at The Sunday Times, stated: “We very much look forward to working with [Warwick] to provide meaningful support to emerging young authors.”

Warwick was named the Sunday Times University of the year in 2015.