Comedy Women In Print Prize adds self-published category
- The Comedy Women in Print Prize 2025 is open for entries. Deadline: 23rd May
- A new self-published category has been added to the awards
Entry is now open for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2025, with a new self-published category added.
CWIP explains: "The Comedy Women in Print Prize 2025 (CWIP), the UK and Ireland's first prize to shine a light on witty women writers, today announces a stellar line-up of judges as submissions open for the award's fifth cycle. Created by actress, author, and stand-up comedian Helen Lederer, CWIP was launched in 2019 in response to the lack of support and exposure for female comedy writing and as a way of discovering new talent. This is a truly rags to riches prize that offers a fast track to writing careers to those who would have otherwise been overlooked as well as shining a light on the best of established women's witty fiction."
Hera Books is teaming up with the competition this year to act as the publisher of the winning unpublished manuscript, "providing a dream come true for a previously unpublished author". Founder Keshini Naidoo comments: "In a world in which we are beset by dark news on a daily basis we need levity more than ever - and that's why CWIP's mission is not only admirable but deeply important, and we are honoured to be uniting with them to bring the winner of the Unpublished Prize to the market".
Dr Nick Courtright, founder of Atmosphere Press, supporters of the self-published category with a prize package worth over £2,500 comments: "CWIP is such a wonderful prize, giving great opportunities to funny literary talent. I'm especially glad that it's now open to hybrid published and self-published authors, as these writers have taken the matter of getting their work out there into their own hands".
Helen Lederer says: "The fact that we include self-published this year chimes with CWIP's mission statement - women's wit empowers. Afterall, to publish your own book is surely the most empowering writerly thing you can do! We want to overcome snobbery and increase laughter."
The judges across this year's three categories will be:
Published: Chrissie Manby, Kerry Godliman, Ranvir Singh, Ingrid Oliver, Chizzy Akudolu and Susannah Constantine.
Unpublished: Jennifer Young, Liz Hoggard, Malaika Kegode, Janet Ellis, Keshini Naidoo and Dawn Butler.
Self-Published: Llewella Gideon, Deborah Maclaren, Nina Wadia, Lesley Joseph, Alison Hume and Silvia Saunders.
The deadline to submit an entry is Friday 23rd May. To find out more visit www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk
This article is provided for free as part of BCG Pro.
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