Stroud Book Festival is delighted to announce the two shortlists for the third annual Laurie Lee Prize for Writing.
The winner in each category will be announced on Sunday 10th November at a free event on the final day of Stroud Book Festival 2024. Their winning entries will also be published in a future issue of Good on Paper.
Commenting on this year’s submissions, Katie Fforde, chair of judges said: “In this its third year, the standard of the Laurie Lee Prize continues to rise. As judges we have difficult choices to make, but it is a joy to have such talent to work with.”
16-20 YEARS category
Prize money of £500 (to winner), £300 (2nd prize), £200 (3rd prize)
Christopher Barnes (Hardwicke), age 17
Anya Forino (Thrupp), age 20
Estella Jones (Chalford Hill), age 17
Natalie Sturgess-Cadman (Hucclecote) age 17*
Lola Sweeting (Cirencester), age 18
Natasha Walmsley (Quedgeley), age 18
*also shortlisted in 2023
OVER 21 YEARS category
Prize money of £1,000 to the winner
Georgia Boon (Stroud)
Judy Darley (Clevedon, but born in Thornbury)
Anna Fernandes (Wotton-under-Edge)
Christine Griffin (Hucclecote)
Megan Hayes (Patchway)
Laura Kinnear (Stroud)
Rebecca Klassen (Gloucester) *
Stephen Litchfield (Cheltenham)
Rowan Middleton (Chalford)
Kate O’Grady (Stroud)
Belinda Rimmer (Bishops Cleeve) *
Helen Smith (Leckhampton)
*also shortlisted in 2023
Open to unpublished Gloucestershire writers across a range of genres, the Laurie Lee Prize for Writing was created in 2022 acknowledge and honour the work of Stroud’s most famous son, Laurie Lee (1914-1997).
Submitted writing – whether fiction, non-fiction or poetry – must be on a nature or conservation theme. The Prize is open to writers currently resident in Gloucestershire, and to those who were born in the county.
The 2024 judges are Katie Fforde (chair), Jessy Lee (Laurie Lee’s daughter), Norah Perkins (Laurie Lee’s literary agent), and Gloucestershire writers, Jamila Gavin, Adam Horovitz, and Jane Bailey.
Link to the Stroud Book Festival Laurie Lee event here:
