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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday 30th September 2011

The Best of British Creative Writing Talent is Announced

The cream of Great Britains literary talent is unveiled for this years esteemed and celebrated Awards ceremony in London.
The prestigious Brit Writers Awards Unpublished nominations have been released and showcase the very best that the UK creative writing scene has to offer. From short stories to song writing, bosses at Brit Writers have spent the last year searching for the very best talent. Months of reading through prose has accumulated in the selection of the shortlist, which is packed full of innovative and inspiring copy, ready to whirl readers into different worlds. The introduction of the Brit Writers and their Awards in 2009 was born out of a desire to make the literary world more accessible to those who were looking to get published, but found it notoriously hard to break into. There are Awards for both adults and children and celebrate everything that is creative and passionate about writing. Last year, over 21,000 Brits from around the world entered the Awards and the organisers say that because of the increase in programmes running this year, the number has grown to even greater heights. The Awards have also received recognition from the very top, including Sir Terry Pratchett and even the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg: It is with great pleasure that I lend my full support to the Brit Writers. Creative writing is a great way for young people to express their thoughts and ideas, give a voice to their opinions and make those opinions known to a wider audience. In the Adult section the finalists were chosen in the groups of novels, short stories, stage and screenplays, non-fiction, song writing, childrens stories and poetry. For the under 16s, it was short stories, poetry and song writing. In addition, there is a Published Author Award. Chief Executive of Brit Writers, Imran Akram said: The standard of this years entries has exceeded all expectations. Some of the writing has literally blown us away. Theres a wealth of talent out there and we are so proud to be able to showcase it in this way. The Awards evening is a fantastic way to reward those who show real 1

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promise in the industry and give them a chance to be showcased to important figures from the literally and media world. Although Brit Writers was only established in 2009, its quickly grown to become the fastest growing network of writers of all ages and backgrounds. Through their schools and communities projects run in conjunction with passionate and dedicated sponsors, theyve managed to engage with parents, teachers and pupils across the UK. They are now celebrating achieving the largest creative writing initiative in Britain, with over 2 million people in their network. Last years winner of the prestigious Unpublished Writer of the Year Award went to former teacher Catherine Cooper. She lives in Shropshire and won 10,000 and a publishing deal for her childrens novel, The Golden Acorn. All the finalists for the 2011 Awards will attend a glittering ceremony at Madame Tussauds in London on Friday 7 th October. Famous faces from the literary world, along with celebrities, representatives from the literary world and sponsors will gather and celebrate the achievements of the UK literary world.

Ends.
Chief Executive of Brit Writers Imran Akram is available for print and broadcast interviews. For more information or to arrange a time for an interview, please contact: Imran Akram Imran@britwriters.co.uk 07779 222 313

Notes for Editors. For more information on Brit Writers, please visit www.britwriters.co.uk For the full shortlist, see below:

Adult Finalists Novels

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Denise Lysaght from Liverpool - Nigel The Ordinary Boy, Anna Mendham from Yelverton, Devon Dog Rose, Katie Willis from Hornsey, London The Softest Grey, Ross McLanach from Strathaven, Lancashire Bowling Ball and Thomas Anthony Ellis from Castle Bromwich, Birmingham Reunion. Short Stories Allison Symes from Eastleigh, Hampshire Got You!, Annemarie Neary from Clapham Common, London One Wee Job, Nathan Braund from Larne, County Antrim The Old Astronaut, Julia Bohanna from Caversham, Berkshire A Small History of John, Pamela Pottinger from Penrith Howling at the Moon, Alison Craven from Joondalup, Australia SCARY and Peter Howard from Kings Langley, Hertfordshire Monkey. Stage & Screenplay Julie Stewart Brian and the River Horse, Richard Fitchett New England, Michael Hennessy from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire LEAU DE VIE Screenplay and Chris Bush from York, North Yorkshire The Impossibility of Apple Trees. Non-Fiction Lisa Donaldson from Hilton, Stockton on Tees The Big C in My Bra ~ Dealing With BRCA ~, Blessing Museki from London NO BUMS ON SEATS: CONFESSIONS OF A TORTURED STATISTIC, DLambert Mensah from Greater London The 6 Elements of Providence & 20 Questions You Could Ask On A First Date and Lynne Copp from Marlborough, Wiltshire Dancing Round the Handbags. Songwriting David Holland from London Worlds Away, Yards Apart, Z Ahmad from Blackburn, Lancashire Invisible Valentine, Vicki Clarke from London Dont Go and Scott Blackledge from Clophill, Bedfordshire It Was Always You. Childrens Stories Shirley Elmokadem from Horsham, Sussex The Treasure of the Urn, Georgina Kirk from Rossendale, Lancashire Once Upon a Princess a Very Hairy Beard Did Grow, Dennis Zaslona from Solihull, West Midlands Secrets and Ghosts, Sima Yacoob Glokids and Christopher Walker from Edinburgh, Lothian Steppe Back in Time. 3

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Poetry James Miller from Sevenoaks Depart Sevenoaks 07.38 , Sylvia Jobar from Sheffield Ritual, Mark Stopforth from Stroud Orrery, The bucket, Pipistrelle, Winter Roost, Greyhound and Wayne Price from Aberdeen - The Weather at the End of the News Five Poems. Published Writer Award Tom Connolly The Spider Truces (Myriad Editions), Max Malik The Butterfly Hunter (Legend Paperbooks), Nat Segnit Pub Walks in Underhill Country (Penguin) Ruth Dugdall The Woman Before Me (Legend Press) and Patricia Gardiner The Botters Gang (Melrose Books). 16 and under Finalists. Short Stories Imogen Cook from Brighton Nobodys child, Alastair Bull from Bangor Swang Stagas Magic Carpet, Holly Smith from Portsmouth Angel, Thomas Gomersall from Sai Kung, Hong Kong Falconclaw, Emma Welton from Huntingdon Broken Syllables, Aleena Sheikh from Nottingham Neetus Indian Adventure and Alisha Harris from Plymouth World Dolls. Poetry Meg Williams from Birmingham Poetry Collection, Orianne Breakspear from Prestwood, Great Missenden Mysterious, Robyn Lacey from Haywards Heath The Word Weed, Zoe Mairs from Warrington Poems by Zoe Mairs and Ruby Cook from Exeter Various. Song writing William Croft from Stourbridge Mister Doctor Tony Bs World-Renowned Musical Circus and Theo Breakspear from Prestwood, Great Missenden Life.