£2,000 Prize Launched to Find Next Bridget Jones
Author Helen Fielding seeks unpublished comedic diary writers from the north of England with a new award offering £2,000 and writing support
Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones's Diary, has launched the Bridget Jones Prize to discover new comedic diary writers from the north of England. The prize will award £2,000 and a package of writing support to the winner.
The Bridget Jones Prize will run for an initial three years from 2027 to 2029 and is open to unpublished writers based in the north of England without an agent. Submissions for the prize will be open from 23 November 2026 to 1 February 2027.
The winner will be announced at the Northern Writers' Awards ceremony in Newcastle next summer and will receive the award from Helen Fielding. The prize is for the funniest 1,000-word piece of first-person writing.
The Bridget Jones Prize is part of New Writing North's Northern Writers' Awards. Helen Fielding's original newspaper column was published as a best-selling novel titled Bridget Jones's Diary in 1996.
## Why it matters The Bridget Jones Prize aims to address the uneven opportunities for writers across the UK, with more opportunities available in the south than in the north. Helen Fielding, who grew up in West Yorkshire, wants to discover new comic voices from the north of England. The prize is inspired by the everyday humour of people from Yorkshire and aims to bring new talent to the forefront.
The winner of the prize will not only receive a cash award but also a package of writing support from Fielding's literary agents and New Writing North. This support will help the winner to develop their writing skills and potentially launch their career as a comedic writer.
The Bridget Jones Prize is a great opportunity for unpublished writers from the north of England to showcase their talent and get recognized. With the prize running for three years, it is expected to discover new and exciting comedic voices from the region.
