Helen Fielding, the Yorkshire-born creator of Bridget Jones, is opening the search for the North of England’s next comic writing talent.
The new Bridget Jones Prize will offer £2,000 to an unpublished, unagented writer, with a further £1,000 for one highly commended entrant. Both writers will receive an advice session with an agent from Fielding’s literary agency, Aitken Alexander Associates, alongside support from arts charity New Writing North.
Free entry for debut writers
Applicants must be over 18, live full-time in the North of England and plan to remain there for at least another year. They must also be debut writers who have not published or self-published a full-length book.
Entries should be a stand-alone piece of first-person prose of up to 1,000 words. Fiction and life writing are both welcome, with the format inspired by the diary columns that first introduced Bridget Jones in 1994.
Applications open on 23 November 2026 and close at midday on 1 February 2027. The winner will be announced at the Northern Writers’ Awards ceremony in Newcastle in summer 2027. The prize is planned to run for three years.
As well as financial support, winners will receive access to networking, one-to-one guidance and publishing advice through New Writing North’s wider programme.
Why it matters for Britain
The prize gives aspiring Northern writers practical help and a route into the publishing world, while keeping the focus on voices from the region. It also adds a dedicated comedy award to an established programme supporting new literary talent.
