To celebrate 10 years of the awards, New Writing North published a collection of work produced by award winners in 2009. The collection, Ten Years On, profiles work in progress from a selection of poets and novelists.

For portraits of the award-winners, see our Flickr site.

Special awards

The Waterhouse Award 

The poet Andrew Waterhouse died in October 2001. He was a poet of enormous promise whose work had just started to garner great acclaim following the success of his first collection In (Rialto), which won the Waterstone’s/Forward First Collection prize. He also received a Northern Writers’ Award in 2000. Andrew’s tragic death shocked a community of writers who looked to him both as friend and rising star. In 2002 New Writing North decided to create a special award in Andrew’s memory. Each year the Waterhouse Award is given to one of the winning poets. The award was founded in 2002.

The Andrea Badenoch Fiction Prize
Andrea Badenoch was a gifted Newcastle writer who produced four novels in the last few years of her life. She died from breast cancer in 2004 at the peak of her literary career. This annual award which bears her name was established by her family and friends in association with New Writing North and is supported mainly by donations from individuals. The award seeks to provide support for women writers over the age of 42, which is how old Andrea was when she submitted her first novel. This award is judged separately to the other Northern Writers’ Awards by a panel of Andrea’s friends and family. The award was established in 2005.

Northern Writers’ Awards success stories

Northumberland novelist Mari Hannah won a Northern Writers’ Award in 2010. A few months after picking up her prize, Mari signed a three-book deal with Pan Macmillan for a series of crime novels set in the North East and featuring detective Kate Daniels. The first book in the series, The Murder Wall, will be published in early 2012.

Carolyn Jess-Cooke received an award of £3,500 in 2008 to help her develop her work. At our London industry networking event, Carolyn met agent Madeleine Buston, who helped her to place her first novel, The Guardian Angel’s Journal. The novel went on to sell in the UK and in another 13 territories internationally.

Gateshead poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas received an award in 2008 and was mentored by poet Gillian Allnutt. In 2009 he was selected to be part of the Faber New Poets scheme at Faber and Faber, who also published his first chapbook. He toured the UK as part of the Faber New Poets promotion in autumn 2009, stopping off at Durham.

Newcastle novelist Alice de Smith received an award to support her new novel, Welcome to Life. In May 2008 she completed the novel and one week later it was purchased at auction by Atlantic Books. It was published in June 2009 and was promoted as part of the 2009 Read Regional campaign.

Newcastle novelist Dan Smith received an award to support the writing of his novel, Dry Season. In 2008 he signed a two-book deal with Orion. Dry Season was published in spring 2010.

Cumbrian novelist John Murray received an award in 2001 to support the writing of his novel Jazz etc (Flambard Press, 2003). The novel went on to be long listed for the 2003 Booker Prize for Fiction.

Darlington poet Joanna Boulter received an award to help her complete the manuscript of her first collection of poetry, Twenty Four Preludes and Fugues on Dimitri Shostakovich (Arc, 2006). The collection was nominated for the Forward Best First Collection Prize in 2007.

Tyneside novelist Carol Clewlow received an award to support the development of her novel Not Married, Not Bothered (Harper Collins, 2005). The book went on to become a popular bestseller.

Newcastle novelist Kitty Fitzgerald received an award to enable her to complete her novel Pigtopia (Faber, 2005). The novel went on to take second place in the prestigious Barnes & Noble Discover Awards in the USA in 2006.

An award enabled Durham novelist Avril Joy to develop her first novel, The Sweet Track (Flambard Press, 2007). The novel was nominated for the Orange Prize for New Writers and the McKitterick Prize.

Tyneside poet Paul Batchelor received an award to help him complete his first collection of poetry, The Sinking Road (Bloodaxe Books, 2008). The collection was nominated for The Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize.

Northumberland poet Peter Bennet received an award to work on his collection Goblin Lawn: New and Selected Poems (Flambard Press, 2005). The book was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and the author was also nominated for the prestigious TS Eliot Award in 2008.

Winners of the Northern Writers’ Award