New Writing

Three UEA alumni have been selected for the Creative England ‘iWrite’ Partnership scheme, which is designed to support emerging writers develop the skills and knowledge required to write for the cinema. Molly Naylor, John Osborne and Tom Benn will participate in an eight-month programme supported by Bristol Old Vic, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, Writers’ Centre Norwich and Live Theatre Newcastle.  In addition to the programme of professional development, each of the writers will receive a £3,500 commission and the possibility of having their short film produced professionally at the end of the scheme.  Molly (pictured) graduated from the MA in Creative Writing (Scriptwriting) in 2008 and her first solo show, Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You, debuted at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 before touring internationally.  Besides her work for theatre, she has published a poetry collection, You Clown (2012) and has co-written a six-part comedy drama with John Osborne called After Hours that will be broadcast on Sky1 later this year, starring Jaime Winstone and Ardal O’Hanlon.  John will also collaborate with Molly during the iWrite scheme.  He graduated from the BA programme at UEA in 2000 and has since published a number of books, including Radio Head: Up and Down the Dial of British Radio (2009), The Newsagent’s Window (2010), and Most People Aren’t That Happy, Anyway (2013).  He is also a poet, performing regularly with the Aisle 16 collective.  Tom graduated from the BA in 2009 and from the MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) in 2010.  He is the author of The Doll Princess (2012), which was shortlisted for the 2012 Dylan Thomas Prize and the 2013 Portico Prize, Chamber Music (2013) and Trouble Man (2014).