Harriet Ghost wins C4 Writing for Television Award

22nd September 2023

Written by:

Gaynor Mellor, Creative Director

On Thursday 21st September, the three 2023 winners of the Channel 4 Writing for Television Award were announced at a ceremony in Newcastle. We are delighted to announce that Newcastle-based actor-writer, Harriet Ghost, will now receive a nine-month programme of mentoring and support from us here at Rollem.

It was a joy to meet Harriet and we can't wait to welcome her into our family of talented writers. I'm looking forward to working together on her fantastic Newcastle-set project and bring her unique cast of Georgie Mams to life! ”

Gaynor Mellor, Creative Director at Rollem Productions

Harriet joins Joe McNally and Liz Redwood who will receive placements with Bonafide Films and Lime Pictures respectively.

Each of the writers wins a £3000 bursary and a package of money-can't-buy opportunities including mentoring, shadowing, and introductions to industry professionals.

The celebration on Thursday night was hosted with North East Screen, the North East's regional screen agency which nurtures homegrown talent including writers producers and directors. The event was attended by Gaynor Mellor (Creative Director) and Jade Jones (Development Executive) from Rollem who were delighted to present Harriet with her award.

The Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards were founded in 2014 as part of the Northern Writers' Awards. They are funded by Channel 4 and produced by New Writing North.

Nurturing the next generation of talent is a key priority for Channel 4, particularly in the north, which is why we are so committed to these awards.  ”

Caroline Hollick, Head Of Drama at Channel 4

Harriet, Joe and Liz join a growing list of television writers supported by Channel 4 and New Writing North. Previous winners include Sharma Walfall, who won the inaugural award in 2015 and has gone on to write for productions including Dreamland, Noughts and Crosses and A Town Called Malice, and Jayshree Patel, whose award led to her becoming a core writer on Hollyoaks before recently moving to EastEnders. The programme has also launched the television writing careers of Taiba Ahmad, Adam Bennett-Lea, Joshua Halm, Kemi-Bo Jacobs and Samantha Neale.  

The Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards form part of Channel 4 and New Writing North’s Talent Development Partnership, which offers year-round support and opportunities for new writers from the North, with a particular focus on supporting writers from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in the television industry. Alongside the awards and industry placements, it offers script development, writers’ roadshows and workshops, and the formation of the Northern Talent Network. 

These awards offer genuine career-changing experiences and it's enormously fulfilling for us to play a part in nurturing and celebrating new talent. ”

Will Mackie, Senior Programme Manager at New Writing North

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