Contemporary grime legend Stormzy has launched a new writer’s prize for #Merky Books.
The south London MC has used his platform after his meteoric rise to fame to give back to the community in a variety of ways.
One of these has been through his #Merky Books initiative. It has now been announced that a #Merky Books writer’s prize competition will commence this year. A shortlist for potential winners is due to be released on May 2nd, with the final decision to be made on the 6th of June.
Those who are shortlisted will also be invited to participate in a workshop hosted by Penguin to develop their skills even further, and the winner will receive both representation from The Good Literary Agency and a publishing contract with #Merky Books.
The panel of judges is set to include Yrsa Daley-Ward, Kayo Chingonyi, Nikesh Shukla, Susan Sandon, Managing Director at Penguin Random House UK as well as Big Mikey himself. The competition is open to writers of both fiction, non-fiction and poetry from the UK and Ireland, aged between 16 and 30.
For more news on Stormzy, find out which superstar celebrity gave him a shoutout on Instagram here, and read more about our Merkiest Ones to Watch initiative which took place at the #Merky Fest at Ibiza Rocks hotel in 2018 here.
Applications for the Prize can be made here.