John Dean – Crime Writer

Authors in the early stages of their careers are being offered the chance to bid for four £5,000 bursaries to further develop their work.

The Charlotte Aitken Trust has awarded New Writing North £30,000 to support the development of four published writers living in the North of England. Known as the Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards, they will become part of the New Writing North’s Northern Writers’ Awards in 2026.

In addition to the £5,000, the four successful writers will have access to a programme of support from New Writing North.

The awards are open to writers of fiction, poetry, or narrative non-fiction who have had their work professionally published. The aim is to support writers at a pivotal point in their careers as they develop new work towards publication.  

The Charlotte Aitken Trust is dedicated to the support of literature, writing and reading. It is funded by the estate of the literary agent Gillon Aitken (1938-2016) in the name of his only daughter Charlotte, who died in 2011 at the age of 27. The awards will be judged by Irenosen Okojie, Hellie Ogden, and John Glenday.  Submissions will close on 26 February 2026.

Will Mackie, Senior Manager (Talent Development), New Writing North, said: “Now more than ever, early career published writers face significant financial, creative, and wellbeing challenges. The Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards will give writers valuable time and space to navigate delicate transitions between projects and develop work-in-progress.”

Authors can apply at www.newwritingnorth.com