Significant Ink: Newcastle
Thank you for your interest in applying to Significant Ink: Newcastle. 3 writers will be selected in July and will receive a £1000 bursary, mentoring and development opportunities with partners.
Applications are open for global majority writers who are aged 18+ and who permanently reside in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside or Sunderland. You may have some experience writing or you may be brand new. You should so far have not published a full-length work (a novel, memoir or poetry collection) but may have published individual short stories or poems, or a poetry pamphlet. You should not be in full-time education by the time the programme begins (September 2026).
The deadline for submissions is 12 Noon on Thursday 16th July 2026. All submissions must be made through Submittable.
Before you apply you might consider attending some of our free workshops. You don’t have to live in a particular local authority to attend. The four workshops cover short stories, life writing, ‘from idea to page’ and writing for young people. It is a great way to meet other emerging writers and have a go at different genres of writing. The workshops details are:
- From Idea to Page with Marcia Hutchinson at West End Library, Wednesday 24th June, 12.00 - 14.00
- Writing for Young People with Ashley Thorpe at One Strawberry Lane, Wednesday 1st July, 12.00 - 14.00
- Life Writing with Nadine Aisha Jassat at One Strawberry Lane, Wednesday 8th July, 17.30 - 19.30
- Short Stories with Shazia Altaf at The John Marley Centre, Wednesday 15th July, 17.30 - 19.30
If you cannot attend our free workshops, you are still welcome to apply. The application will ask for a short sample of your writing of up to 10 pages. Your submission could be fiction or narrative non-fiction. For example, this could be an extract of your novel or a couple of short stories. You will also be asked to give a short answer to two questions and to complete some monitoring questions.
The entries are judged anonymously at all stages of the process. The reading team and judges will not see any of the monitoring information you submit, which is an important part of ensuring the judging process is fair and even.
You will need to include your name when you register but please leave it off your application questions and don’t include it on any part of your submission, such as the title page or as a header or footer, or in the document file name.
Submissions will be read internally at New Writing North. A shortlist will then be passed to writers Emily Low and Ashley Thorpe to find the three winners.
Applicants will receive a response to their submission by the end of August.
If you have any questions or need support with completing the application form, please contact emilylow@newwritingnorth.com.
Please note, due to funding from the North East Combined Authority, you must permanently live in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside or Sunderland.
Award details
There is one award available.
The winner will be offered the unique chance to work closely with Warp Films through a long-term placement, a bursary worth £3000 and mentoring support. They will take part in a peer-group programme with opportunities to meet writers and industry professionals. The winner will also be given access to the C4/NWN Northern Talent Network.
No writing experience is necessary. For this award, we want to discover new writers from Northern England who would like to work in television. We especially welcome submissions from people of colour and those from LGBTQ+, disabled and lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are particularly under-represented in this area of the TV industry.
Warp Films productions include recent hit and cultural talking point Adolescence, Sky Atlantic mini-series Little Birds, and critically acclaimed four-part drama This is England ’90. This award will be judged by: Warp Films and New Writing North.
Please visit Warp Films’ website to find out more about the work they produce: https://warpfilms.com/
This award will be judged by: Warp Films and New Writing North.
Entry details
To enter writers should submit an outline of an original TV drama storyline (up to 400 words) and a sample script of no more than ten pages, and answer the application questions. Please note that writers who enter this award may also enter the other Channel 4 Writing for Television Award strands.
You don't have to be writing in a specific genre or style to apply for these awards, but we would encourage you to take a look at the kinds of work the production companies have developed, and consider which might be the best fit for your writing.
The deadline for entries is 12 noon, 26 June 2026.
We are unable to accept submissions after this deadline.
To apply for this award you should be:
- Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months.
- Over the age of 18.
- Writing for television and willing to commit to developing your work through the programme on offer.
For more information, please read the Eligibility and Conditions of Entry carefully.
Award details
There is one award available.
The winner will be offered the unique chance to work closely with FilmNation TV UK through a long-term placement, a bursary worth £3000 and mentoring support. They will take part in a peer-group programme with opportunities to meet writers and industry professionals. The winner will also be given access to the C4/NWN Northern Talent Network.
No writing experience is necessary. For this award, we want to discover new writers from Northern England who would like to work in television. We especially welcome submissions from people of colour and those from LGBTQ+, disabled and lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are particularly under-represented in this area of the TV industry.
FilmNation TV UK is part of international independent entertainment company FilmNation Entertainment, whose TV productions include Chris O’Dowd’s Small Town, Big Story, the award-winning HBO mini-series I Know This Much Is True, and the TV drama adaptation of Isabel Allende’s bestselling novel The House of the Spirits.
Please visit FilmNationTV UK’s website to find out more about the work they produce: https://www.filmnation.com/
This award will be judged by: FilmNation TV UK and New Writing North.
Entry details
To enter writers should submit an outline of an original TV drama storyline (up to 400 words) and a sample script of no more than ten pages, and answer the application questions. Please note that writers who enter this award may also enter the other Channel 4 Writing for Television Award strands.
You don't have to be writing in a specific genre or style to apply for these awards, but we would encourage you to take a look at the kinds of work the production companies have developed, and consider which might be the best fit for your writing.
The deadline for entries is 12 noon, 26 June 2026.
We are unable to accept submissions after this deadline.
To apply for this award you should be:
- Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months.
- Over the age of 18.
- Writing for television and willing to commit to developing your work through the programme on offer.
For more information, please read the Eligibility and Conditions of Entry carefully.
Award details
There is one award available.
The winner will be offered the unique chance to work closely with Merman through a long-term placement, a bursary worth £3000 and mentoring support.They will take part in a peer-group programme with opportunities to meet writers and industry professionals. The winner will also be given access to the C4/NWN Northern Talent Network.
No writing experience is necessary. For this award, we want to discover new writers from Northern England who would like to work in television. We especially welcome submissions from people of colour and those from LGBTQ+, disabled and lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are particularly under-represented in this area of the TV industry.
Merman is the production company behind From Catastrophe to This Way Up, Motherland, Amandaland and Bad Sisters. Merman’s work stretches across comedy and drama but always with bold, character-led storytelling at its heart. Please visit Merman’s website to find out more about the work they produce: https://hellomerman.com/
This award will be judged by: Merman and New Writing North.
Entry details
To enter writers should submit an outline of an original TV drama and/or comedy storyline (up to 400 words) and a sample script of no more than ten pages, and answer the application questions. Please note that writers who enter this award may also enter the other Channel 4 Writing for Television Award strands.
You don't have to be writing in a specific genre or style to apply for these awards, but we would encourage you to take a look at the kinds of work the production companies have developed, and consider which might be the best fit for your writing.
The deadline for entries is 12 noon, 26 June 2026.
We are unable to accept submissions after this deadline.
To apply for this award you should be:
- Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months.
- Over the age of 18.
- Writing for television and willing to commit to developing your work through the programme on offer.
For more information, please read the Eligibility and Conditions of Entry carefully.
Award details
There is one award available.
The winner will be offered the unique chance to work closely with Hat Trick Productions through a long-term placement, a bursary worth £3000 and mentoring support. They will take part in a peer-group programme with opportunities to meet writers and industry professionals. The winner will also be given access to the C4/NWN Northern Talent Network.
No writing experience is necessary. For this award, we want to discover new writers from Northern England who would like to work in television. We especially welcome submissions from people of colour and those from LGBTQ+, disabled and lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are particularly under-represented in this area of the TV industry.
Hat Trick is the production company behind BAFTA award-winning comedy series Derry Girls and Middlesbrough native Phil Dunning’s Smoggie Queens. Please visit Hat Trick’s website to find out more about the work they produce: https://www.hattrick.co.uk/
This award will be judged by: Hat Trick Productions and New Writing North.
Entry details
To enter writers should submit an outline of an original TV comedy storyline (up to 400 words) and a sample script of no more than ten pages, and answer the application questions. Please note that writers who enter this award may also enter the other Channel 4 Writing for Television Award strands.
You don't have to be writing in a specific genre or style to apply for these awards, but we would encourage you to take a look at the kinds of work the production companies have developed, and consider which might be the best fit for your writing.
The deadline for entries is 12 noon, 26 June 2026.
We are unable to accept submissions after this deadline.
To apply for this award you should be:
- Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months.
- Over the age of 18.
- Writing for television and willing to commit to developing your work through the programme on offer.
For more information, please read the Eligibility and Conditions of Entry carefully.