The deadline is 17 January to apply for two awards aimed at young writers aged up to 18 living in the north of England. The Cuckoo Young Writers award offers a prize worth £500 to a promising young writer aged 14-18 who is writing poetry, prose or creative non-fiction and is based in the north-east, north-west or Yorkshire. The award will be judged by Observer journalist and novelist Elizabeth Day.

The Matthew Hale award is aimed at young people who show talent but who have little opportunity to pursue their interest in writing in any genre or form. Open to 12-18 year-olds, the award is worth £500 and consists of a package of support created by New Writing North. Nominations for recipients of this award are requested from parents, teachers or other adults who know a young person who shows great promise, but who lack the opportunities to pursue their talent. This award is funded by the family of Matthew Hale, a young person who loved reading and writing.

The awards for young writers will run alongside New Writing North's Northern Writers' awards. More details