Twenty-one writers, including eight who are currently unpublished, have been awarded a 2012 Writer’s Bursary by Literature Wales. The bursaries which total £89,000 will allow the writers to take time out of employment to write, and also assist some small-scale travel and research. As well as supporting new talent, bursaries have also been awarded to a number of established figures in the literary world. Fiction, poetry, children’s fiction, and creative non-fiction are all well-represented in the 2012 list.
Literature Wales’ Bursaries Panel is pleased to support new writing by previously unpublished writers. New Writers’ Bursaries have been awarded to: Brian Meechan, Derek Routledge, Hannah F. Lawson, Will Slocombe, Sian Morgan and Rhian Edwards. Fifteen of this year’s authors are first-time bursary recipients.
English language fiction in Wales will be particularly enriched, with seven authors taking time out to work on their new novels: Maria Murphy, Bruce Paley, William Muir, Brian Meechan and Derek Routledge will all write new English language novels. Two Welsh language authors are also turning their hands to English fiction; Tony Bianchi will work on his new English language novel Lookout while Owen Martell will develop his new novella.
Children’s fiction in Wales is particularly well-represented in the 2012 list, with four authors taking time out to write brand new novels for children: Caroline John (writing as C M John), Angela Roberts, Sian Morgan and Stephanie Burgis.
Paul Henry will use his Writer’s Bursary to work on his sixth collection of poetry while performance poet Rhian Edwards will concentrate on developing work for her second collection.
The Welsh-language Bursary recipients are: Lleucu Roberts, Jane Edwards, Geraint Lewis, Hefin Wyn and Jason Walford Davies.
Katie Gramich, Chair of the Literature Wales Bursaries Panel commented: “Some of the successful applications this year are genuinely exciting and innovative. It is a privilege for the Literature Wales bursaries panel to have such a stimulating preview of some of the fiction and poetry that may one day go on to win literary prizes…This year’s bursaries will, we hope, help more of our writers to keep inventing, writing, and publishing their various stories.”
Literature Wales Chief Executive Lleucu Siencyn said: “Since 2004 we have awarded over £800,000 in Writers’ Bursaries, enabling 197 writers to develop their work in a variety of genres. Supporting the writer in his/her career is fundamental to the work of Literature Wales.”
