Events Calendar

  • Sat 3/13/2010: What Does the Poem Need from the Poet? With Sean O’Brien
  • Sat 3/20/2010: Writing East Anglia with Jeremy Page
  • Sat 4/24/2010: Making Poems with Alan Jenkins
  • Tue 4/27/2010: Writing a Novel: Short Course with Rachel Hore
  • Wed 4/28/2010: Poetry Short Course with Michael Laskey

Prizewinning Writing

10 Writers from the East of England Take a Big Leap Forward

“When I got the email I was so happy I could barely speak. It is like 20 years of Christmas. I have wanted to write this particular project for years and now it has proper space and support from the scheme.” Belona Greenwood, Escalator Literature 2009 Winner

This summer we asked writers from the East of England to apply for our writing competition, Escalator Literature. The competition was open to early career writers of literary fiction and creative non-fiction.

Take some time to have a look at the winners’ work below, as the quality of Escalator writing is always very high, and you might find you’re reading the next big thing. Many Escalator Literature writers have gone on to find agents and get published with writers including Fraser Grace, Helen Ivory, Susan Sellers and Nicola Upson all graduates of the scheme.

Escalator Literature success is aided by the fact that we always work with established names in the literary world as judges and mentors, this year being no exception. The 10 winners have been chosen by mentor / judges Michelle Spring, Sal Cline, Midge Gillies, Katharine McMahon and Courttia Newland.

The 2009 Winners are:

Deborah Arnander, Norwich
Gillian Daly, Norwich
Belona Greenwood, Norwich
Robert Mason, Norwich
Sarah-Jane Page, Bedfield, Suffolk
Dave Pescod, Cambridge
Linda Randall, Gislingham, Suffolk
Sarah Ridgard, Norwich
Kate Swindlehurst, Cambridge
Martin Ungless, Kenninghall

Highly Commended Writers are:

Sally Alexander, Norwich – Read an extract from Patrick
Emma Rhind-Tutt, Cambridge – Read an extract from Emma’s untitled novel
Ashely Stokes,  Norwich – Read an extract from It’s That Man Again

Why is Escalator Literature a Unique Writing Competition?

This Arts Council funded initiative has been running for five years, each year focusing on a different genre, or stage of development. The writers do not just win a cash prize, but will embark on a year-long programme of support covering training, mentoring, assistance with Grants for the Arts funding, and an opportunity to showcase work and meet agents and publishers.

Find out more about last year’s Live Literature Escalator, and about previous Escalator Literature winners. To be the first to find out about next year’s competition, sign up for news on your right.