Celebrating Unheard Voices: City Lit Announces the 2025–26 Scholarship Winners

City Lit  is proud to reveal the three talented recipients of the 2025-26 Malorie Blackman Unheard Voices Scholarships, an initiative designed to celebrate and support aspiring writers from underrepresented backgrounds.

A huge congratulations to Savannah Prince, Chelsea Bondzanga, Ayanna van der Maten whose powerful storytelling has earned them a place on the prestigious City Lit creative writing programme. Each winning piece showcases the power of literature in reflecting personal and societal experiences, reinforcing the importance of elevating fresh perspectives in the writing world. 

Once again, the Malorie Blackman Unheard Voices Scholarships open doors for a new generation of storytellers, offering three annual awards of up to £1,000 each to help recipients develop their craft at City Lit’s renowned Creative Writing department. The initiative, founded with the idea of empowering emerging writers, has become a stepping stone for those looking to share their voices in the literary world. 

City Lit Fellow and Patron of the School of Culture and Communication, Malorie Blackman OBE, once again took on the challenging task of selecting this year’s winners.

Malorie Blackman commented:

“Reading the submissions for the City Lit Scholarship scheme is one the highlights of my year. I very much enjoy reading the shortlisted entries, but it seems that every year the task of selecting only a limited number of scholarship recipients proves more and more difficult. Each submission was a joy to read – some proved challenging, some were laugh out loud humorous, some were poignant, some thought provoking, but all of them were excellent, engaging and made me want to read on. To all the shortlisted authors, I would like to thank you for submitting your writing extracts and I sincerely hope that none of you gives up on your writing. I wish you all every success.” 

City Lit’s Creative Writing courses have long been a place for ambitious writers, with alumni spanning bestselling authors, poets, and screenwriters.

City Lit Principal Mark Malcomson CBE spoke about the impact of the scholarship and the continued legacy of creative writing at City Lit: 

“We are thrilled to welcome this new cohort of scholarship winners. Malorie’s dedication to championing unheard voices is truly inspiring, and this programme embodies the values of creativity, inclusivity, and storytelling that City Lit holds dear. We are excited to see where their journeys take them.” 

Malorie Blackman’s long standing connection with City Lit is one of inspiration and mentorship. As a former student, she understands first hand the role that education plays in shaping a writer’s career. With over fifty published works and a celebrated career spanning novels, television, and children’s literature, Malorie remains a beacon of creativity and advocacy for diverse voices in writing. 

The Malorie Blackman Unheard Voices Scholarships serve as more than just financial support – they offer encouragement, visibility, and a platform for talented writers to flourish.