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Thirty-six writers from a wide range of working
class, LGTBQIA+, Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds
were today (13 July 2021) shortlisted for the 8th annual
Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA).
The UK’s only national writing competition and
development programme for all underrepresented
writers, the Award celebrates exceptional writing from people who
traditionally lack opportunities due to mental health issues,
disability, identity, health, or social circumstance.
Entrants were invited to submit work on the theme
‘Essential’ in two categories, prose and poetry, with loss,
sexuality, homelessness, the impact of the coronavirus—as well as
Zoom therapy sessions, wild bear attacks, live crab babysitters,
curious carpet layers and ice cream van drivers, and a young
precognitive girl living in the time of Noah, explored.
The judges for the 2021 CFWA are best-selling
novelist Dorothy Koomson, and
award-winning poet Joelle Taylor alongside Aki
Schilz (The Literary Consultancy) and
Sarala Estruch (Poetry School).
This year the competition attracted over 1,200
entries from unpublished writers across the UK—many of whom have
never entered a literary competition before – and saw double the
number of entries from non-binary writers and a 10% increase of
those from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds (from
25% to 35%).
The final twelve winners will be announced on
28 September 2021 with the writers celebrated at a special
showcase at the Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival on
27 October 2021. They will share over £10,000 in cash and
development prizes, as well as appear in an anthology.
THE FULL SHORTLISTS
ARE:
POETRY:
Aischa Daughtery – I CALL MYSELF DYKE
NOT JUST BECAUSE I AM, BUT SO YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Anna Himali Howard – chomp chomp chomp
Ava Patel – Something Exists Forever
Ella Bee Glendining – Lavender
Emma Gray – Interface
Gem Baskerville – Dirty Peaches
Helen Bowie – Poprawa
Jem Henderson – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs according
to a 16 year old girl laying on a single bed staring at the ceiling
in a homeless hostel
Jess Murrain – Falling Short
Liam Prince – Scum Deluxe
Liz Bentley – Chocolate Covered Honeycomb
Naoise Gale – Scorched May
Norman Miller – Learning In Nine Keys
Oluwaseun Olayiwola – Night on the Thames
Path
Rhiya Pau – How Much Is Enough?
Rob Lowe – Table
Steve Roberts – How Can I
Yvette Naden – The Middle Child
PROSE:
Amelia Zhou – Bright
Baljit Sidhu – A Perfectly Ripe…Something or Other
Clarissa Angus – Suitcase Serenade
Dina Jane Walker – If anxiety wrote my
eulogy
EP Wallace – Isn’t This Nice?
Elizabeth Brooks – The Pork Queen of
Macon County
Farah Ahamed – No One Can Save Anyone
Helen Geoghegan – Promise of Fear
Ilaria Passeri – The Ice Cream Van
Izzy Steel – Testing Times
James Austin – Starry Dynamo
Liza Hartley – Long Boat
Lumiere Chieh – As A Rule
Mary Darroch – Magic Bus
Nanci Gilliver – Tidal
Shazia Altaf – Essential Thread
Thomas Heath – restart.exe
Ulka Karandikar – Mr Kohli’s Carpets
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