Over the years the bursary has helped launch the careers of writers such as Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered and Drop the Dead Donkey), Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (Red Dwarf) and Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche (The Thick of It and Veep).
Embedded within the Radio Comedy team in BBC Studios, the writers have an opportunity to work on everything from high profile BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra shows such as The News Quiz, The Now Show and Newsjack, to sketch shows, panel games and stand up strands and podcasts. They will also pitch ideas for their own series.
The scheme was devised in 1978 by legendary comedy producer David Hatch and BBC Television’s then Head of Light Entertainment, Jimmy Gilbert. The aim was to give new writers a one year contract to work across whatever shows were in production, enabling them to give up their day job and make the move into full time professional writing.
The first recipients of the bursary were Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville and Guy Jenkin and since then the scheme has given early opportunities to 81 brilliant writers.
Writer and winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards Simon Blackwell said: “Without The BBC Radio Comedy Writer’s Bursary I wouldn’t be writing comedy for a living today. I didn’t start writing until I was in my thirties, when we already had two kids. At that crucial point in my career the bursary allowed me to go part-time in my day job and free up time to write for a number of BBC Radio shows. It’s a fantastic scheme and I feel very fortunate to have benefitted from it”.
Writer and successful podcaster Danielle Ward, whose credits range from Do The Right Thing to Dangermouse and bursary writer in 2007 said: "Being awarded the bursary allowed me to give up my office job and become a comedian full time. Without it I'm not sure I'd have ever made that leap. I learned a lot very quickly and made some brilliant contacts and friends, many of whom I still work with today".
Guy Jenkin said: “It’s a great kick start to a comedy career. Good luck to the latest recipients.”
This year two new writers will join the list – Kat Sadler and Catherine Brinkworth. Whilst women have been recipients of the bursary for more than twenty years, this is the first year all recipients are women.
Kat Sadler is a writer, actor and stand up, who is also the editor and creative director of Succubus, a satirical women’s magazine. In the last few years, she has performed stand up on BBC Radio 4 Extra, been a semi-finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Award and written and performed in her own sitcom, which was selected for So You Think You Write Funny in 2016.
Catherine Brinkworth is a radio presenter and writer with an interest in reggae and dancehall. She has contributed to the long running BBC Radio 4 Extra series Newsjack, as well as BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and The Now Show.
Kat said: “I feel incredibly lucky to have been chosen for the bursary. I am so excited to get cracking on such a brilliant opportunity alongside the supremely talented Catherine. This time last year I was sitting in my pyjamas writing stupid jokes on Twitter. I mean, I'm still doing that, but now I've also got a job at the BBC.”
Catherine says: “I’m happily surprised and unbelievably thrilled to have got the bursary, it’s an incredible opportunity to learn, and spend even more time eating snacks with Kat than usual”.
Julia McKenzie, Head of BBC Studios Radio Comedy, said: “The Radio Comedy Bursary really is an exceptional opportunity for writers to learn how to write across a variety of shows and formats and make career changing relationships with a range of producers and talent. There is no better way to hone your craft than to write daily and this bursary pays the writers to do just that, often to demanding deadlines. Being on the inside of a multi-faceted global content company such as BBC Studios also offers rare access and if this year’s writers take full advantage of that, it will be the push that launches them into a career of writing for a living.”
Full List of recipients:
- 1978: Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville, Guy Jenkin
- 1979: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor, Martin Bergman
- 1980: Jon Canter, Angus Deayton, Tony Sarchet
- 1982: James Hendrie, Eddie Canfor-Dunne, David Jackson Young
- 1983: John Collee, Roger Planer
- 1984: Jack Docherty, Moray Hunter
- 1985: Malcolm Williamson, Stuart Silver, Alan Whiting
- 1986: Stephen Punt, David Bond, Paul Hawksbee
- 1987: Mike Coleman, Bill Matthews, Ged Parsons, Les Peters Rowley
- 1988: John O’Farrell, Mark Burton
- 1989: Peter Kerry, Simon Bullivant, Mark Brisenden
- 1990: Peter Baynham, Barry Atkins
- 1991: Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Robert Steele, Julian Dutton
- 1992: Clive Coleman, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil
- 1993: Rob Colley, Paul Powell, Millie Murray, Georgia Pritchett
- 1994: Dan Gaster, Andrew Clifford, Debbie Barham, Hugh Rycroft
- 1995: Will Ing, Kay Stonham
- 1996: Ben Ward, Dave Lamb, Tony Roche
- 1997: Felix Riley, Tom Jamieson
- 1998: Nev Fountain, Simon Blackwell
- 1999-2003: Scheme not run
- 2004: Rhodri Crooks, Paul Kerensa
- 2005-2006: Scheme not run
- 2007: Danielle Ward, Kieron Quirke
- 2008: James Sherwood, Stephen Carlin
- 2009: Gareth Gwynn, John-Luke Roberts
- 2010: Jon Hunter, James Kettle
- 2011: Benjamin Partridge, Andy Wolton
- 2012: Jack Bernhardt, Tom Neenan
- 2013: James Bugg, Grainne Maguire
- 2014: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Max Davis
- 2015: Sarah Campbell, Liam Beirne
- 2016: Robin Morgan, Jenny Laville
- 2017: Laura Major, Mike Shephard
