2008 Awardee: Lynsey Murdoch

I am absolutely delighted to formally accept the award .. for the completion of my film ‘Eat Me’.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS: , , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Hailing from Cambuslang, Lynsey has been given an Award to concentrate on writing and producing her film ‘Eat Me’, about a young Scottish woman suffering from an eating disorder. As a past sufferer of bulimia, Lynsey knows a lot about the fear and obsession that can inhabit someone with an eating disorder.

Lynsey has proven writing and acting talent and was described as a ‘… new star of Scottish Theatre in the making’ for her performance in ‘Mad Cow’ at the Arches Theatre in Glasgow. In 2006 she was selected by the Playwright’s Studio Scotland for their mentoring scheme. During that time, Lynsey impressed by her commitment and the way in which she found her own voice and unique way of telling her story. Lynsey’s forte is in portraying issues which are affecting young people in society today, with an acute sense of observation and humour.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award is supporting Lynsey as she develops as a writer and performer

Since the Award

Lynsey describes the experience of writing and acting in her short film ‘Eat Me’ as “an absolute turning point” in her career.  The film was shot in May 2009 and completed later that year. It will be submitted to film festivals in the UK and worldwide.

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I am absolutely delighted to formally accept the award .. for the completion of my film ‘Eat Me’.

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2007 Awardee: Jenni Fagan

I cannot wait to begin my BA in Norwich and I am really excited about the work I plan to do there.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: , , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jenni has been writing creatively since she was in primary school where she won competitions for short stories and poems. Since then, her writing achievements are impressive and to date include winning a national competition in 2004 to represent Scotland at the European Young Playwrights Forum in Athens and in 2006 reaching the final six in a national competition organised by the Playwrights Studio Scotland which entitles her to be mentored by the Studio.

Jenni not only shows incredible talent and promise as a writer, she has a unique voice and poetic originality.

Jenni has built up a substantial body of work already; one book of poetry, an autobiographical novel, three plays, two film scripts, many short stories and countless outlines for future work.

She has been published in Brand Literary Magazine, Flux, Dope USA, Underground Poetix Instanbul, Tate Modern, Graffiti Kalkota India, Dwang Anthology, Beat Anthology and Unthology amongst others.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will support Jenni through a degree in creative writing at Norwich School of Art & Design, and later at Greenwich University.

Since the Award

In 2010 Jenni graduated with a first-class degree. In the same year her novel The Panopticon was completed and her art installation The Scold’s Bridle, a collaboration wth the words of women in prison, was exhibited at Greenwich Gallery.

Her first collection of poetry Urchin Belle, published by Blackheath Books, was a sell-out and her second collection The Dead Queen of Bohemia is published in 2010.

While an undergraduate, Jenni facilitated a writers’ group at Norfolk Blind Association. She begins her first Writer’s Residency at Lewisham Hospital in late 2010. Jenni has accepted a place on the MA course at Royal Holloway, taught by Andrew Motion, starting in the autumn of 2010.

In 2013, Jenni’s novel The Panopticon was nominated for a for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. Click here for further details.

Jenni took part in our Tenth Anniversary Celebrations, where she led a Meet the Artist session with fellow Awardee Jonathan Boyd.

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I cannot wait to begin my BA in Norwich and I am really excited about the work I plan to do there.

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