Submissions are now open for the fourth Comedy Women In Print prize.
The Comedy Women in Print prize (CWIP) celebrates the best
comedy writing by both fresh and established female talent from across
the UK and Ireland. It proudly shines a light on accomplished published
& unpublished authors, demonstrating a wide breadth of reliably funny
voices.
The CWIP charity was launched by actress, author, and stand-up comedian
Helen Lederer (pictured) in 2019 as she discovered that there were no literary
prizes for witty female authors. It quickly became a vital platform to
increase exposure for female comedy writing, celebrating humourous
female voices and helping to launch fledgling comedy writing careers.
This year's awards ceremony will be held at London's Groucho
Club. The event will include a newly created Legacy Recognition Award,
joyfully celebrating the clever, witty, satirical work of the late Sue
Townsend that both holds us accountable and makes us laugh - like a
drain. The 40th-anniversary edition of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Aged 13 ¾ is due out in October with a foreword by Caitlin Moran.
With £10,000 worth of prizes for the winners, the Comedy Women in Print
prize is the gold standard for creative and witty writing. The CWIP
judges panel 2022/23 includes head judge Angie Greaves, comedy actor
Susie Blake, comedian Arabella Weir, broadcaster, actor and presenter
Michelle de Swarte, comedian Olga Koch and comedy actress Llewella
Gideon, as well as national treasure Anita Dobson and publishing
professionals from Farrago and Harper Fiction.
Previous CWIP winners and highlighted writers include Dolly Alderton,
Mel Giedroyc, Nina Stibbe, Candice Carty-Williams, Gail Honeyman, Diksha
Basu, Andi Osho, Daisy Buchanan & Beth O'Leary.
Helen Lederer, the founder of the CWIP Prize, said: "Writing can feel
like an uphill battle, so I created CWIP to make a difference and
amplify women's extraordinary witty voices. Getting industry recognition
gives talented writers the exposure and support they need. Writing funny
stuff really does change one's mood -I can't wait for all the amazingly
hilarious submissions to roll in and to make the winner's dreams come
true."
Previous nominee Hannah Dolby praised CWIP: "The Comedy Women in Print
Awards have truly changed my life and made my lifelong dream of being an
author come true". Following CWIP, Hannah's first novel, No Life for a
Lady, will be published next year and is described as 'the most joyful
book of 2023'.
Barbara Hayes, Deputy CEO of the Authors' Licensing and Collecting
Society (ALCS), said: "_The Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society is
delighted to sponsor the very important work of CWIP celebrating
underrepresented witty female writers and providing that essential
platform for their stories to be told. The awards recognise the amazing
talent that provides us with such entertaining books, and we are proud
to be involved in an enterprise that helps celebrate writers in such a
fiercely competitive arena."
All entries should be submitted before the deadline of Friday 14th October 2022. The winners will be announced on April 17, 2023.
Categories & Prizes
Comedy Short Story with Farrago (between 5000 - 15,000 words)
Cash prize of £1,000 for the winner and all shortlisted entries will
receive £100 and will be published in an anthology by Farrago [6] in
2023.
Published Comedy Novel
Winner of a comedy novel published between 29th May 2021 and 14th
October 2022 will receive a cash prize of £3000 from the ALCS.
Unpublished Comedy Novel
(completed work of at least 80,000 words)
The winner will receive a publishing contract and a £5000 advance
from Harper Fiction. The unpublished runner-up receives a place on the
University of Hertfordshire MA course in Creative Writing or Writing
Mentorship. A second runner-up will receive a place on the online MA in
Comedy Writing from Falmouth University - the first of its kind in the
country.
More informaition here: https://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk/
