POPCORN WRITING AWARD IN EDINBURGH
The Popcorn Writing Award is the only award celebrating new writing at the Edinburgh Fringe. The award offers a £6,000 prize fund pot that goes directly to writers recognised for their notable, groundbreaking scripts.
It champions brave and imaginative writing which playfully and artistically questions and addresses current affairs and societal trends and contributes positively to public debate.
Partnering venues include Assembly Festival, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, Summerhall Arts, Traverse Theatre, Underbelly, Greenside Venues, ZOO Venues, Paradise Green and theSpaceUK.
Past Committee members have included: Lena Headey, Wunmi Mosaku, Ruth Wilson, Gonzalo Maza, Michael Longhurst and many others from across film, television, theatre and beyond.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR 2025
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Submissions are OPEN until 10am on 8th July 2025. Plays are eligible if they:
1) Are new pieces of writing with fewer than seven performances prior to the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe.
2) Are being staged during the Fringe at one of the partner venues - Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, theSpaceUK, Summerhall Arts, Traverse, Underbelly, Greenside, Paradise Green or ZOO Venues.
To be considered, writers must send their piece of new writing, a 50-word summary of their play, a 10-word tagline, and a list of the show’s previous performance dates (if any). These materials should be submitted to the programming team at their respective venue with the subject line:
“Popcorn Writing Award 2025 // Title of Play // Writer’s Name // Venue Associated”
Any questions about the award should be directed to awards@popcorngroup.co.uk.
Winners
2024
VL
by Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair /
Weather Girl
by Brian Watkins
THE BOOK OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS by Yilong Liu
A KNOCK ON THE ROOF by Khawla Ibraheem
POP OFF, MICHELANGELO! by Dylan MarcAurele
2023
DUGSI DAYZ
by Sabrina Ali
PUBLIC - THE MUSICAL by Stroud and Notes
THE BRIEF LIFE & MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BORIS III, KING OF BULGARIA by Joseph Cullen and Sasha Wilson
LIE LOW by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
2022
BROWN BOYS SWIM
by Karim Khan
RUCKUS by Jenna Fincken
BREATHLESS by Laura Horton
2021
THIS IS PARADISE
by Michael John O'Neill
THE CRACKS by Sian Rowland
MY VOICE WAS HEARD BUT IT WAS IGNORED by Nana-Kofi Kufuor
PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO SHARE by Rachel Causer
2020
ES AND FLO
by Jennifer Lunn
BURN by Chris Thompson
LITTLE MISS BURDEN by Matilda Ibini
Special Mention:
DADDY by Camilla Whitehill
2019
I’M A PHOENIX BITCH
by Bryony Kimnings
A WOMB OF ONE’S OWN by Claire Rammelkamp
DROWNING by Jessica Ross
Past committee members
Francesca Moody
Tony Grisoni
Jessica Malik
Charlotte Colbert
Anthony Anderson
Natalie Denton
Andreja Pejić
Annabelle Wallis
Inua Ellams
Jonny Woo
Jennifer Lunn
Art Malik
Noma Dumezweni
Aurora
Lena Headey
Gonzalo Maza
Carrie Cracknell
Wunmi Mosaku
Enda Walsh
Michael Longhurst
Ruth Wilson
Penny Martin
Fatima Bhutto
Kerry Fox
Bryony Kimmings
Katie Pennick
Extracts
ES AND FLO by Jennifer Lunn
Performed by Celia Imrie & Sharon D. Clarke
Directed by Emma Callander
This play was due to be performed at The Travserse Theatre in Edinburgh, August 2020.
BURN by Chris Thompson
Performed by Kit Harington & Tuppence Middleton
Directed by Kate Wasserberg
This play was due to be performed at Assembly Festival in Edinburgh, August 2020.
Daddy by Camilla Whitehill
Performed by Rory Bremner
Directed by Sarah Meadows
Little Miss Burden by Matilda Ibini
Performed by Saida Ahmed, Ani Nelson & Michelle Tiwo
Directed by Debbie Hannan