Escalator Live Literature 2008: Winners

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“For young writers, trying to get started can sometimes feel like trying to run the wrong way up an escalator, so it’s great that we’re being given a lift!” Helen Mort, Escalator 2008 winner

++Escalator Showcase May 08th @ Norwich Arts Centre. Find out morehere.++

Each year writers in need of support at critical stages in their careers  benefit from the Escalator Literature scheme which develops new talent in the Eastern region. This year Escalator focused on Live Literature for the first time and in September five writers/performers were selected as winners. 

Each winner will be guided through an Arts Council England Grants For The Arts bid to support their work and be offered places on professional development workshops with stars of the live literature scene. They will then spend three days working with West End theatre director James Grieve to hone a 20 minute extract from their show to be performed at a showcase in May 2009.

The 2008 winners are:

Tim Clare: Norwich, Norfolk

Helen Mort: Cambridge

Molly Naylor: Norwich, Norfolk

Dean Parkin: Beccles, Suffolk

Hannah Walker: Norwich, Norfolk

Commended writers are: Justin Coe, John Osborne and Jude Simpson.

Find out more about all the winners and commended writers by following the above link.

Chris Gribble, Chief Executive of New Writing Partnership says "The five winners of places on the Escalator Live Literature scheme this year offer exciting, innovative and challenging visions of the word can be brought to the stage and we’re very excited about working with them over the coming year. Watch out for premiers of their work at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2009!" 

The Escalator Literature 2008 mentors are: Francesca Beard, Matt Harvey, Aöife Mannix, Courttia Newland, and Russell Thompson (creator of Rachel Pantechnicon).