Nottingham Trent University is delighted to announce that local writer Lucy Grace is the recipient of The John Harwood Bosworth Creative Writing Bursary. Lucy will study for a Master’s degree in Creative Writing, take part in a one-to-one editorial session at Penguin Random House, and she will receive some Blackwell’s vouchers. This generous package has been provided thanks to the support of Maureen Bosworth and Geof and Diana Bosworth, in partnership with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.

As a Nottinghamshire resident with a passion for creative writing and an appreciation for how this opportunity will enhance her practice at a relatively early stage in her writing career, Lucy was the unanimous choice of the selection panel. As well as writing herself, Lucy helps others and is currently a support tutor for Writing East Midlands where she works with older people, using writing to build a sense of community and for wellbeing.

In her application, Lucy identified what she would hope to gain from this transformative opportunity, highlighting her enthusiasm for discovering new subjects, hearing new opinions and learning more about trends in contemporary writing.

I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity to study at NTU and learn from some of the most skilled people in the field. I love writing and reading but have never had any formal tuition except for school. Without the generous bursary and exciting package provided by the Bosworth family I could not afford to study or extend my creative writing knowledge and skills. Nottingham is very fortunate to have the status of UNESCO City of Literature, and in these difficult times we need creativity more than ever. I hope one day to be able to help someone as they have helped me.

As a member of NTU’s postgraduate learning community Lucy will have access to placement opportunities and career advice and the support of her peers as well as her tutors.

The John Harwood Bosworth Creative Writing Bursary has been established in memory of Diana Bosworth’s father-in-law, John Bosworth, who passed away in August 2019.

John loved reading books of many different genres and in his later years he also wrote poetry. I wanted to honour him by establishing this bursary with Maureen my mother-in- law’s support.
Books are important to us as a family and they open up a way to experience the world. With the support of the Director of Nottingham City of Literature we have created an opportunity for a young writer to find their voice and hopefully set them on a path.

My aspirations is that the recipient is passionate about writing, loves learning, looks forward to new adventures and importantly has fun doing so.

NTU has created this bursary package in close collaboration with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature (NUCoL), who have greatly enhanced this wonderful opportunity with their experience and their connections to Penguin Random House. NUCoL is a passionate advocate for reading and writing in the city and works closely with NTU to provide opportunities for students to gain experiences in the sector and to express themselves creatively.

Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature is an NTU Strategic Partner – we work closely together to connect students and staff with projects and opportunities.