Alumna takes top prize for novella
4 June 2019
Cardiff graduate wins New Welsh Writing Award
English Literature alumna Jessica George has scooped the award for best dystopian novella in the New Welsh Writing Awards 2019.
Jessica won the prize for The Word from a shortlist of three worksat the awards run by New Welsh Review in association with Aberystwyth University.
Originally from Pontypool, Jessica George pursued English Literature to Master’s degree and PhD at the School of English, Communication and Philosophy.
The Rheidol Prize for best writing with a Welsh theme or setting was won by Peter Goulding for On Slate.
The2019 New Welsh Writing Awards were announced at the Hay Festival on 24 May.
Winners receive £1,000 as advance against e-publication by New Welsh Review under their New Welsh Rarebyte imprint and a positive critique each by leading literary agent Cathryn Summerhayes at publishers Curtis Brown.
The top six shortlisted authors also receive a one-year subscription to New Welsh Review.
Judge Gwen Davies said:
‘JL George’s The Word manages to place at the heart of her ambitious novella – which explores ideas about propaganda, communication and cohersion – a touching and compelling story of friendship between two teenage boys on the run.’
Now working on a dystopian novel supported by a Literature Wales bursary, Jessica was thrilled with the news:
“Being recognised by the New Welsh Writing Awards is an incredible boost in confidence as a writer, and I’m looking forward to seeing The Word published in digital form and being able to share it with the world.”
Watch a filmic trailer for The Word produced by the New Welsh Review.
Now in its fifth year, the New Welsh Writing Awards were set up to champion the best short-form writing in English and are open to all writers based in the UK and Ireland and those living overseas who have been educated in Wales.