Escalator New Writing Fellowships seek unpublished writers in fiction from the East of England

We’re looking for talented writers in the East of England who are seeking to develop their craft and find routes into the publishing industry.

Now in its 20^th year, the Escalator New Writing Fellowships programme has supported unpublished, early-career writers of fiction to achieve their writing and publishing dreams. Each year, a cohort of promising talent are selected for an eight-month period of professional mentoring and support designed to launch their writing careers.

NCW has supported over 160 writers through Escalator so far, with over half of alumni progressing to publish acclaimed fiction and build successful careers in writing, performing, teaching, and more. A third of Fellows have gone on to win literary awards.

Holly Ainley, Head of Programmes & Creative Engagement, said:

‘Celebrating its 20^th year, we are delighted to open for applications to our flagship talent development programme. Escalator is a regional scheme with a national impact, raising the profile of incredible writers whose talent and voices are ready to be heard. Escalator’s shape and success of rests on listening and responding to what writers have told us they need: the result is a scheme that creates the conditions and provides the tools to equip writers for the professional reality of a career as an author.’

Recent Fellows include George Harrison, whose debut novel Season was published by Eye Books this year; Joanna Miller (The Eights), Rob Perry, (Dog), Owen Nicholls (Love, Unscripted), Jon Ransom (The Whale Tattoo) and Margaret Meyer (The Witching Tide).

Each Escalator New Writing Fellow receives a tailored programme of mentoring, industry insight sessions, peer connection, and opportunities to share their work with industry and public audiences.

The 2024/25 cohort celebrated the completion of their Fellowships with a high-profile showcase event at The London Library in July, where they performed extracts of their work to a room of publishers, agents, and friends.

Being part of the Escalator programme has been like adding that extra professional tool to my kit. Not only has it boosted my writing productivity no end, but it’s also given me a secure confidence in my own voice.

Fritha Waters, Escalator Fellow 2024/25

A unique quality of the Fellowships is a focus on voices that have traditionally found themselves underrepresented on UK bookshelves. Escalator welcomes applications from writers who identify as:

Black, Asian, or from another ethnically diverse background;
LGBTQI+;
working class;
disabled, neurodivergent, or living with a disability or chronic illness;
having caring responsibilities;
being in receipt of a state pension, Jobseekers’ Allowance, Disability Benefits, Income Support, Universal Credit or Working Tax Credits, or facing other economic barriers.

To apply, you must live more than 50% of the time in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk); and be unagented and unpublished.

The deadline for applying to Escalator is 10am on Tuesday 16 September 2025. The selected writers will need to be available to take part in the scheme between late November 2025 and July 2026.

Apply now

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