Comedy prize finds publisher

A NEW award for women writers and comedians, launched at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, is joining forces with a major publisher.

The Comedy Women in Print (CWIP) Prize has announced the deal with Harperfiction.

The publisher will offer the winning female novelist a publishing contract and £5,000 advance.

The CWIP Prize was created by actress and stand-up comedienne

Helen Lederer in “response to the lack of support and exposure for female comedy writing and as a way of discovering and nurturing new talent”.

Judges for the award include international bestselling writers, Marian Keyes and Allison Pearson and Dr Jennifer Young, English and Creative Writing Lecturer at Hertfordshire University.

Ms Lederer said: “It proves witty female fiction is being taken seriously from the top down.”

Entrants to the unpublished category are asked to submit a one-page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of their comedy novel. www.comedywomeninprint. co.uk