Centre for New Writing launches new anthology
Prize winners announced at new writing Anthology launch event
The latest edition of the Centre for New Writing鈥檚 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Anthology was launched with an event at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation on Monday, 13 October.
Two award winners were announced on the evening:
Anne Boyd Rioux took The PFD Prize, an annual award for the most promising piece of fiction from the MA Creative Writing dissertation, as chosen by the leading London literary agency, . The winner receives a cash prize and the opportunity to work with an agent at PFD to develop their writing towards publication.
Anne is a former English professor from New Orleans and a biographer specializing in American women writers. She is the author of three non-fiction books and the popular Substack newsletter Audacious Women, Creative Lives. She is currently working on her upcoming first novel A War of Her Own, based on the real-life story of the New Yorker writer Kay Boyle. Trapped in France during WWII with her abusive husband, the artist Laurence Vail, and his ex-wife Peggy Guggenheim, she fell in love with an Austrian refugee who needed rescuing as much as she did. Many years later, however, the consequences of her decisions during the war continue to reverberate through the lives of her children.
I'm so honoured to have won the PFD Prize, knowing what amazing writers were on the course with me. It's been an incredible journey with them and our top-notch tutors. Trying to re-emerge later in life as a novelist is such a challenge, so I'm so grateful for this recognition!
Kieron Fairweather, Associate Agent at PFD added:
The winning piece this year is a vivid and finely researched piece of writing that brings to life a figure on the edge of the Lost Generation, exploring the birth of a career in retrospect, and how an unexpected relationship with her daughter鈥檚 psychiatrist reshapes her sense of artistic integrity and forces her to revisit the foundations of her creative and political ideals. It鈥檚 a narrative that delicately explores how private, intimate relationships can profoundly reshape public convictions, and one which not only brings history to life, but reframes it through a deeply human lens.
The MA Poetry Prize went to Ellie Grant. Ellie is a neuroqueer poet. She takes inspiration from childhood, the pockets of green in her local London, and the pockets of dark in urban places where green things tend to grow. She placed second in the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Micropoetry Competition in 2024 and was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize 2025.
Ellie commented:
It means a lot to me to have this recognition for my work, and I did feel a bit emotional listening to John McAuliffe reading the judge's citation when I realised it was about me. I have great admiration for Padraig Regan's poetry and it's very validating to be endorsed by such a brilliant fellow poet. I feel honoured to be the first winner of this new poetry award - and thrilled that at long last there is an award for the MA poets!
The editorial team for this year鈥檚 anthology consisted of Samantha Graham, Tom Pyle and Dylan Stewart:
Samantha commented: "So many hours of work have gone into producing this Anthology, both from myself, Tom, and Dylan and from our peers whose brilliant writing is featured within it, and I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of the book that we have collectively created. Overseeing and managing this project has been the highlight of my postgraduate experience and I鈥檓 so glad to have been able to celebrate the completion of it at the launch event last month."
Tom added: "Being part of the editorial trio for The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Anthology 2025 has been a challenge and a privilege. Seeing the work that it takes to get a book to print, having complete creative control over the process but most importantly being able to showcase the range of talent from the writers in this MA cohort; people who we鈥檝e sat in workshops with and watched develop throughout the year. To have this book as a marker in the sand feels appropriate and, personally, gives me a lot of satisfaction."
Past contributors to The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Anthology have gone on to become successful established authors: Beth Underdown鈥檚 debut novel, The Witchfinder鈥檚 Sister, was a Richard and Judy bestseller; Alys Conran was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for her debut novel, Pigeon; Nat Ogle, author of In The Seeing Hands of Others, was shortlisted for The White Review Poet's Prize; Joe Carrick-Varty鈥檚 collection, More Sky, was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize; Thomas D. Lee鈥檚 novel, Perilous Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller; Jessica Moor was named one of the ten best debut novelists of 2020 by Observer New Review, and was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize.