A Writing Chance: Fresh Stories from Under-represented Voices

Published Thu 25 Feb 2021 - By A Writing Chance

A Writing Chance is open to new and aspiring storytellers from under-represented backgrounds. This opportunity is searching for fresh perspectives and great stories from people whose voices have historically not been heard in publishing and the media.

This UK-wide project is co-funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and supported by media partners New Statesman and Daily Mirror. The project is delivered by New Writing North with support from Literature Wales and literature organisations across the UK, and research from Northumbria University.

Adjusting the lens
Representation matters. The media frames how we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us. The best writing shows us who we are by shining a torch on untold stories and experiences, illuminating truths and bringing injustices and structural inequalities into the light.

But research tells us that the people writing and setting the agenda do so through a relatively narrow prism of experience. We think it’s time to open up the industry so we can all benefit from a richer culture.

A Writing Chance is a positive intervention, designed to discover new talent, support new writers from under-represented backgrounds to break into the creative industries, and empower publishers and editors to make space for a broader range of perspectives.

A Writing Chance: the opportunity

Mentoring and publication for new writers

A Writing Chance is looking for new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower income backgrounds for this opportunity.

Submissions are especially welcomed from people who face intersecting challenges from historic under-representation in the media, including but not limited to those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic, disabled and/or any other historically marginalised backgrounds.

Each successful applicant (ten spaces) will receive:

A bursary of £1,500 to participate in the project
One-to-one mentoring with an experienced writer or journalist
An invitation to Insight Days with the media partners, either in person or online
Publication with byline by one of the media partners, including the Daily Mirror or New Statesman, or broadcast as a podcast.

Closing date: 26 March 2021

For further information, or to apply, click here.