The path to literary success can sometimes seem elusive, even for those with talent. So, in 2009, the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize was launched to support new writers, with no limits on age, gender, nationality or background. With a list of high profile judges over the years including Brian Chikwava, Colin Grant, Maya Jaggi, Jackie Kay, Tabish Khair, Toby Litt and Blake Morrison, the prize has boosted the confidence of writers in competitive times. In the words of one winner: ‘Before I was shortlisted I was … convinced I was never going to write another poem again .. thank you so much for this, I never … want to stop writing.’
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize:
Alicia Mietus for 'Third Person Female' (Fiction)
Desirée Seebaran for 'Picong' (Poetry)
Ruby D. Jones for 'Natural Causes' (Life Writing)
All winning entries are published in Volume 35 of Wasafiri.
Past winners of the Wasafiri New Writing Prize
