New Writing Ventures 2005 Fiction Winners

WINNER: Nicholas Hogg
Nicholas Hogg was born in Leicester in 1974. He graduated from the University of East London with a degree in Psychology. He has lived and worked in Japan, Fiji and America and is now settled in London. As well as teaching literary skills to refugees, he is working on a novel, Sailing on the Sun. Nicholas began writing poetry five years ago and has twice been shortlisted for the Eric Gregory Award.

RUNNER-UP: Nell McGrath
Nell McGrath completed an MA in creative writing at Northumbria University in 2003. The following month, she won the Virago/Marie Claire short story competition. Nell won ‘A Sense of Mischief’ children’s short story competition (July 2004), was longlisted for Fish Short Story Prize (January 2005), her short story was published in ‘Sand 2’ anthology by Independent Northern Publishers (March 2005) and she won the Northern Promise Award (April 2005).

RUNNER-UP: Wayne Milstead
Wayne Milstead began writing whilst studying law and working in journalism. He enrolled in the MA Creative Writing program at the University of East Anglia, where Curtis Brown literary agency awarded him a scholarship in 2003. The following year, he received a bursary to attend a novel clinic in Birmingham with Kathryn Heyman, Kate Pullinger and Jill Dawson. Here, three of his stories were published: The Alligator Whisperer (July 2004), Language Barrier (October 2004) and Blessing (October 2004). BBC Radio 4 shortlisted one of his stories,“Opening Lines”,in December 2004.