The shortlist for The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers was revealed this week, featuring 6 shortlistees from across the UK: Ashleigh Cleaver, Jem K. Hubbard, Ieuan Goodwin, Carly Razzell, Rebecca Teulon-Rose and Jessica Shelley.
The prize, which aims to break down barriers, was set up in 2020 by writer Natasha Carthew to create opportunity for working class nature writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. This unique prize is now in its sixth year with support from Gaia Books (an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group) and the Arvon Foundation.
The prize is free to enter and encourages self-identifying working class writers from all over the UK, whether they live in the country or in towns, cities and other spaces.
The prize includes:
– One commissioned piece in Caught by the River
– Two online masterclasses with Arvon and one online Arvon writing day
– Three 1-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner and one 1-hour mentoring session with a literary agent
– A book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group
– Five shortlisted writers to receive a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group
Entries for the prize were shortlisted by a panel of acclaimed judges including Natasha Carthew, Writer and Founder of the Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers, Stephanie Jackson; Publishing Director at DK; Philip Jones, Editor of The Bookseller; Juliet Pickering, Vice head of books at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency; Harriet Poland, Literary Agent; Kaiya Shang, Commissioning Editor at Chatto & Windus; Tony Putman, author of Bob the Robin; and Alisha Riley, the 2024 prize winner.
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 8th July.