Renowned Authors Help Young Cornish Writers Achieve Their Dreams

Young & Talented Cornwall Creative Writing Award recipients benefit from life-changing mentorship.

Award-winning poets, renowned authors and playwrights are just some of the professional Cornish writers helping nurture Cornwall’s next generation of wordsmiths thanks to Young & Talented Cornwall, the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund.

With a series of mentoring sessions over the course of a year, these Cornish literary illumni will be helping make dreams a reality for eight young writers with outstanding talents in everything from dark fantasy and gothic fiction to journalism.

This invaluable opportunity has been coordinated by the Young & Talented Cornwall Creative Writing Award which gives Cornwall’s vibrant youngsters a helping hand in achieving their potential. Now in its third round, it is sponsored by Falmouth University and Seasalt Cornwall and supported by the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants.

As well as being matched with a local expert in their field, successful applicants also benefit from a £150 book voucher and can access a further cash award of up to £1,000 each to develop a particular project or to fund much-needed equipment.

Young writers and mentors involved in the life-change opportunity are:

• Budding author, Clara Spake Urwin (age 16 from Gunnislake, is being mentored Anna Wilson, who has written over 50 books for children and was shortlisted in 2023 for the Wainwright Nature Prize.
• Aaleyah Kiah Bate (age 22 from St Blaise) is a writer of dark fantasy and gothic fiction with a passion for screenwriting and has been taken under the wing of Craig Barr Green, a writer, lecturer and children’s bookseller.
• Professional writer and essayist, Mark Crees, has been featured in various literary journals and is sharing his expert knowledge and experience with Poppy Louise Wintrip (age 17 from Truro) who dreams of making her mark on the writing and performing industry.
• Ella Frears, a poet and artist whose work has been shortlisted for major awards, is supporting Olivia Mills (age 22 from Gwinear) who has her sights on a place at Oxford University having already had her work extensively published and exhibited.
• Patrick Gale, renowned author and artistic director of the North Cornwall Book Festival, is helping Madison Vincent (age 19 from Perranporth) work towards her dreams of being an author.
• Having previously won the Rotary Short Story Competition and awarded the Gorsedh Kernow Award, Evie Luckhurst (age 19 from St Ives) is working towards a career in journalism. Evie is being mentored by Katrina Naomi, an award-winning poet who has been published in prominent literary journals.
• Literature and Creative Writing student, Freya Rose Jenkins (age 20 from the Isles of Scilly) is being mentored by Philip Marsden, Young & Talented Cornwall’s Creative Writing Award Curator and award-winning author of travel, fiction and non-fiction works.
• Previous Young Songwriter of the Year at Looe Music Festival, Georgia Death (age 22 from Newquay) has her eye on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and plans to establish her own theatre company. She is being mentored by Anna Maria Murphy, a playwright and poet known for her work with Kneehigh Theatre and BBC Radio 4.

To celebrate their talents and the mentoring partnership, the award recipients were presented with certificates by Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and Philip Marsden, at Falmouth University (on Thursday 17th October) as part of Falmouth Book Festival.

Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho said: “Now in its third round, the Young & Talented Cornwall Creative Writing Award has already helped 12 young writers hone their skills under the expert guidance of our distinguished mentors. Our latest recipients were chosen from a record number of applicants and have a transformative year ahead of them. They exemplify the exceptional talent so abundant in Cornwall of which I am incredibly proud.”

Award Curator, mentor and author, Philip Marsden, adds: “Once again, Cornwall has produced a wonderful array of talented young writers. Reading the applications, I saw their enthusiasm and ideas shining from the page. I find it hugely exciting to think where a year’s mentoring will take them.”

Anybody aged between 16 and 23 years with a flair for writing can apply for the Young & Talented Cornwall Creative Writing Award. For more information, head to www.youngandtalentedcornwall.org or search @YTCornwall on Facebook, Instagram and X.