A new writing prize will be hitting the scene this spring! The Royal Society of Literature is launching a new prize for writers founded and supported by its President Bernardine Evaristo. This prize will provide free residencies up to a month long in a cottage in Ramsgate. This is for any projects in any genre and at any stage, from finishing a manuscript to starting a new work.

Evaristo says the purpose of the RSL Scriptorium Award is to

Reward excellent writers of all literary genres who are struggling to find the time and space to write…Many writers don’t have a dedicated writing room to themselves, and there might be financial or family demands that are challenges to completing writing projects. Some of the most important writers might not be commercially successful but they are absolutely culturally essential and instrumental in moving the arts and society forwards. Yet literature receives the least public funding out of all the art forms and most writers earn very little, which is no reflection on the quality of their writing. As a society, we need to build a more supportive infrastructure to help writers from every background thrive, and in so doing, keep literature, in all its life-enhancing manifestations, alive.

The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a UK based charity with the goal to advance literature and increase accessibility. Founded in 1820, they have over 200 years of experience encouraging the value of literature, engaging with the communities, and honoring authors. With over 25 events every year they have extensive opportunities to explore literature past and future, supporting emerging and established authors in ways that suit each individual best.

Bernardine Evaristo is a winner of over 80 literary awards, one of which being the Booker Prize in 2019. Her works have been adapted into BBC series, and has founded several art initiatives such as The Complete Works poetry mentoring scheme and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize. Her work has been translated on a  global scale. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London and has been President of the Royal Society of Literature since 2022.

The RSL recognizes the financial struggle most writers go through, as few writers have their passion as a primary source of income, and wishes to amend that by offering space for ten writers a year, supporting them and allowing them to live and work as writers. They take priority in assisting writers who lack the space, time or means to write.

Applications to the awards will open in spring 2025 via the RSL’s website.