The Royal Society of Literature has announced the first ten winners of the inaugural RSL Scriptorium Awards. The awards provide free writing residencies in a cottage on the Kent coast generously donated by RSL President Bernardine Evaristo. Nigerian-British author Irenosen Okojie is among the recipients of this prestigious new residency program.

Okojie joins fellow winners Yvonne Battle-Felton, Satinder Chohan, Suji Kwock Kim, Tom Newlands, Emma Norry, Hanna Silva, Claudine Toutoungi, Ralf Webb, and Claire Wilson. All ten writers will receive exclusive use of the seaside house for their residency, along with a bursary to support them in taking up the opportunity.

The inclusion of Irenosen Okojie among the winners is particularly significant, as she represents the only African voice in this inaugural cohort. The award recognizes her exceptional contributions to contemporary literature and acknowledges the barriers she has navigated as a writer of African heritage working within the UK publishing landscape.

Okojie, who was born in Nigeria and moved to England aged eight, has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British literature. She is the winner of the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for her story “Grace Jones” and was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature in 2021. Her works include the novels “Butterfly Fish,” “Nudibranch,” and “Curandera” (longlisted for the Ondaatje Prize), as well as the short story collection “Speak Gigantular.”

Her work has been championed by Margaret Atwood, featured in major publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC, and she has served as a judge for prestigious awards including the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the BBC National Short Story Award, and the International Dylan Thomas Prize.

The RSL Scriptorium Awards were created to address structural barriers facing writers in the UK today. A specially-convened panel of RSL Fellows, Sarah Sanders, Kayo Chingonyi, and Victoria Hislop, selected the winners with priority given to writers who do not have their own dedicated writing space and who experience barriers to their literary careers.

“I was delighted to lead the panel to choose the first-ever winners of the RSL Scriptorium Awards,” said Sarah Sanders. “This is a unique opportunity that demonstrates a deep understanding of the practical challenges facing many writers, offering that often elusive but essential space and time to create without distraction or financial worry.”

The first residencies will take place in Autumn 2025, offering these ten writers dedicated time and space to advance their literary projects. For Okojie and her fellow recipients, the RSL Scriptorium Awards represents a commitment to dismantling barriers and supporting diverse voices in contemporary literature. The program stands as a testament to Bernardine Evaristo’s vision of creating more equitable opportunities for writers, ensuring that talent is nurtured regardless of background or circumstance.