THE LATE writer Anne Edgeworth, also known as Anne Godfrey-Smith, would be thrilled to know that a new award has just been created to assist aspiring young writers in the Canberra region. 

A former Canberra Citizen of the Year, Edgeworth was a scientist, a thinker, an environmentalist and  a generous mentor to young writers. Well-known in the 1950s as the full-time manager-producer of Canberra Repertory, she directed many ANU-based revues, plays and pantomimes for many of which she wrote scripts and lyrics. Later she was to complete a survey of youth performing arts activities for the Australian Youth Performing Arts Association

Edgeworth died in 2011 and members of her family have established a trust in her name to provide an annual award to assist young writers.

Her family and friends believe she would have preferred an award in her memory be designed to help young writers develop their craft, skills and experience rather than be awarded as a prize for a completed work.  The award will be confined to applicants aged under 35 resident in the ACT or a nearby NSW local government area.

The annual Anne Edgeworth Writers’ Award of up to $5,000 will support specific writing projects proposed by successful applicants.  It may be used for any purpose that furthers recipients’ education in their chosen field of literature, under the supervision and administration of the ACT Writers’ Centre and can be made for any genre of creative writing including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, screen- and play-writing.

The application process will have two stages.

In stage one applicants are invited to submit expressions of interest to the ACT Writers Centre summarising and costing their proposed project and explaining how the project will benefit them as a writer.  A Writers’ Centre panel will assess the expressions of interest and draw up a short-list of applicants.

In stage two the short-listed applicants will make presentations to a judging panel followed by a discussion of their project.  The judging panel will select the recipient and has discretion to split the award between two applicants provided the total amount of the award does not exceed $5,000.

The Trust envisages that the award could be used for tuition fees, editing, travel and accommodation, attendance at a writers’ retreat, or specific research expenses, but not for the purchase of capital equipment like computers or to subsidise an existing commercial or non-profit activity.

On completion of projects, recipients will be expected to provide an account of their experience to the general writing community.

Expressions of interest should be submitted to the ACT Writers Centre by close of business on Friday,  September 6; presentations to the judging panel by short-listed applicants are scheduled for Saturday, November 2.  For full details visit actwriters.org.au