Top UK Scriptwriters & Video Games Creators’ Shortlisted for Writers’ Guild Awards 2009

LONDON - The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain today announced the shortlists for its 2009 Awards. The Awards recognise talented UK scriptwriters across a range of disciplines including TV, theatre, film, radio and video games. The winners will be revealed at a reception on Sunday 29 November 2009 together with individual awards for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Writing for Children.

On 29 November the winners of the following categories will be announced: Television comedy/light entertainment; television drama series; television soap/continuing series; best feature film screenplay; feature film screenplay - newcomer; best theatre play; best theatre play for children & young people; radio comedy/light entertainment; radio drama & video games.

The Writers’ Guild Awards are sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, BBC Writersroom, BBC Talent Rights and, H.W. Fisher & Company who number many media organisations and trade unions amongst their clients.

The Writers’ Guild Awards are special because the work of writers is honoured by their peers and colleagues. Dating back to 1961, the list of Awards’ recipients acts as a roll-call of the greatest British writers of the past half century and include Alan Bennett, Jimmy McGovern, Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French among others.

This year’s event also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain as an independent trade union affiliated to the TUC.

The 2009 Awards reception will be held at the Free Word Centre in Clerkenwell, central London. The Free Word Centre is the newly-opened home of many well established writing and reading organisations and agencies including English PEN, Free Word, Index on Censorship, Arvon Foundation, Literary Consultancy, Reading Agency Apples & Snakes, Article 19, Booktrust and Dalkey Archive.

The shortlists Television comedy / light entertainment Outnumbered, by Andy Hamilton & Guy Jenkin. Peep Show, by Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong. The IT Crowd, by Graham Linehan. Television drama series Being Human, by Toby Whithouse. Doctor Who, various writers. Little Dorrit, adapted by Andrew Davies. Television soap / continuing series Doctors, various writers. Casualty, various writers. Coronation Street, various writers. Best feature film screenplay The Damned United, by Peter Morgan Hunger, by Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen. In the Loop, by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci, Tony Roche, (additional dialogue by Ian Martin). Feature film screenplay - newcomer Is Anybody There? by Peter Harness. Shifty, by Eran Creevy. Summer, by Hugh Ellis. Best theatre play Apologia, by Alexi Kaye Campbell. At the Gates of Gaza, by Juliet Gilkes Romero. Relocated, by Anthony Neilson. Best theatre play for children and young people Knock Against my Heart, by Oladipo Agboluaje. Red Fortress, by Carl Miller. Scarlet Ribbons, by Brendan Murray. Radio comedy / light entertainment The Now Show, by Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis, Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes et al. 15 Minute Musicals, by Richie Webb, David Quantick and Dave Cohen. Bleak Expectations, by Mark Evans. Cabin Pressure, by John Finnemore. Radio drama A Prayer for Owen Meany, adapted by Linda Marshall Griffin. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, adapted by Andrew Lynch. The Gunshot Wedding, by Katie Hims. Video games award Prince of Persia, by Andy Walsh. Fable II, by Mark Hill. Routes, by Tom Edge. Notes for Editors Writers’ Guild of Great Britain contact information The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, 40 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RX Tel: +44(0)20-7833-0777 Fax: +44(0)20-7833-4777

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain is the trade union representing writers in TV, radio, theatre, books, poetry, film, online and video games.

In TV, film, radio and theatre, the Guild is the recognised body for negotiating minimum terms and practice agreements for writers.

The Guild also campaigns and lobbies on behalf of all writers.

Source: Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS)

Media Contact Bernie Corbett: +44(0)20-3372-8401; Writers’ Guild of Great Britain contact information, The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, 40 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RX, Tel: +44(0)20-7833-0777, Fax: +44(0)20-7833-4777