WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR THE PAUL DIAMOND NEW WRITERS AWARD
WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR THE PAUL DIAMOND NEW WRITERS AWARD
The Millennium Forum has just announced local playwright, Gary Breslin, as the winner of its 25th Anniversary Paul Diamond New Writers Award. Gary’s play, The Body Of Bobby, took the top prize ahead of runner-up, Meghan McLoone, in a year-long project that saw eight finalists work alongside leading Derry playwright, Brian Foster, to develop their scripts. Gary’s play will now be professionally produced for the Millennium Forum stage as part of the theatre’s 25th Anniversary celebrations next year with David McLaughlin producing and Kieran Griffiths directing. As part of the winning prize, Gary also received a £3,000 bursary to continue his writing career.
Gary, from Hazelbank and a classroom assistant in St Joseph’s Boys School, is delighted to be chosen as the winner. He said:
“I’m so proud to have won. It’s genuinely a dream come true. For people like Brian, Mags and David to believe in my work is a validation I think I needed, especially for The Body of Bobby - a story that’s lived in my head for nearly ten years. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see it resonate with others. This competition has reinvigorated my confidence to keep writing and battle through the challenges it creates.
I want to continue to discover my voice as a writer. I’ve so many stories that I think are perfect for the stage and I’m now more equipped than ever to develop them. I plan to make the best out of the next year, learn from everyone I work with and enjoy every minute of it. By the time this play is staged I intend to have another ready to go.”
He added:
“The experience has been incredible - challenging but rewarding. I’d never written a play before this but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. The rehearsal with Kieran and the cast and the table read are experiences I’ll never forget. I think competitions like this are so important as they give writers a chance to believe in themselves, which is a beautiful thing.”
David McLaughlin, Chief Executive of the Millennium Forum, said that it was a very tough decision for the selection panel.
“Well done to Gary on winning this competition. I am very much looking forward to seeing how we can adapt it for our stage next year. It was a very tough decision as Meghan also had an incredible script that I’m sure will end up on the stage sometime in the future.
The standard for entries was incredibly high; we initially had over 80 exceptional scripts entered, all of which were very different, so it was a hugely difficult task to pick the final winner. This project was designed not only to explore the level of interest in playwriting but also to encourage new writing and we really hope to continue the project in the future. It has shown us there is significant enthusiasm and talent in this field throughout the North West and everyone who entered should all be proud of their achievements to date. We are excited about the potential for future initiatives and are committed to supporting new writers and nurturing new talent with the Arts.”
Mary Diamond added:
“Paul’s family is delighted that Gary has won this Paul Diamond inaugural play writers award. Paul was a great lover of literature with a long association with the Millennium Forum and would be delighted to support up and coming writers. We really look forward to enjoying Gary’s play and wish him every success.”
The winning play, The Body Of Bobby, written by Gary Breslin, will be performed on the Millennium Forum stage next October as part of the theatre’s 25th Anniversary celebrations.
ENDS