Established in 2000 by New Writing North, the Northern Writers’ Awards are the UK’s leading talent development programme for both adult and young writers.

The awards support both new and established writers to develop their work towards publication and to progress their careers as writers. For new writers, winning a Northern Writers’ Award can help to connect you to the publishing industry and to develop your work towards publication; for established writers, awards can help to buy time to write to support the development of work in progress and offer creative opportunities. 

With high-profile literary judges and support from across the publishing industry, the awards are now recognised nationally as a major talent-spotting programme that identifies and nurtures great writers.

Recent winners of Northern Writers' Awards include Benjamin Myers, Zaffar Kunial, Andrew McMillan and Mari Hannah.

The Northern Writers’ Awards are supported by Northumbria University, and Arts Council England.