C4 announces screenwriting winners
Channel 4 has announced the 12 writers who have won places on this year’s 4Screenwriting, the broadcaster’s drama screenwriting course.
Now in its thirteenth year, the scheme pairs a writer with an experienced script editor and works with them to develop a pilot episode script over five months.
The winners will also be introduced to key TV drama industry contacts, and there will be weekends of talks, readings and feedback.
Previous writers who have won placements on the programme have gone on to write for C4 dramas such as Hollyoaks, Ackley Bridge, On The Edge, Screw, Truelove and Queenie; several of the recent course projects have gone into active development with Channel 4 Drama and writers with their own, authored shows, on established series going into production or in writers rooms with ITV, BBC, Channel 5, Sky, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, Paramount+, Disney+, etc.
The list of alumni includes Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre who has adapted Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy for the BBC, Karen Cogan who is writing on the second series of Bad Sisters for Apple TV and Cat Moulton who has written forthcoming original series Code of Silence for ITV starring Rose Ayling Ellis.
This year, from over 2000 scripts entered, the 12 writers that were selected and completed the 2023 course are: Jon Champion, Rachel Causer, Nathan Ellis, Alix Eve, Julia Grogan, Adam James, Daniel Katanchian, Shyam Popat, Sid Sagar, Deli Segal, Jilly Sumsion and Jenny Takahashi Stark.
Head of Channel 4 Drama, Caroline Hollick, said: “Every year, the 4Screenwriting course continues to show what amazing new talent we have here in the UK and 2023 is no exception. As always, Channel 4 Drama continues to champion and develop new talent through this scheme, and I am so grateful to Philip Shelley for his ongoing support and passion for this project. I am looking forward to seeing this year’s graduates flourish further and I am delighted that 4Screenwriting is open again for 2024 entries”.
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