Tony Doyle Bursary for New Writing opens its doors once more to a new generation of writers

The Tony Doyle Bursary For New Writing is open to writers who have a different story to tell and who are passionate about starting a writing career in television. This is the fifth time the bursary scheme run by BBC Northern Ireland has been offered to new writing talent.

The Tony Doyle Bursary For New Writing provides a fantastic opportunity for writers new to television. Previous winners of the prestigious £2,000 television writer’s award are Bill Murphy, Brian Dungan, Dominque Maloney and Danny Stack.

Danny Stack was the winner of the fourth annual Tony Doyle Bursary for New Writing 2004. He was awarded the bursary at a ceremony held in BBC Broadcasting House, Belfast. In addition to the Bursary prize, Danny joined the two other finalists, Ruth McCracken and Martin O'Brien on a residential summer seminar. More about the award ceremony »

The judging panel for entries will include Sally Doyle, Robert Cooper, Alan, Maloney, Peter Norris, Lorcan Cranitch, Tina Kellegher.

The bursary’s core aim is to assist the development of new writers. To achieve this, the four chosen finalists will take part in a residential seminar where they will undergo intensive, structured, script sessions with members of BBC Northern Ireland Drama’s development team and with top script writers and producers. Previous tutors have included John Yorke, (Controller, Drama Production Studios), Ashley Pharoah (Life on Mars, Wild at Heart) Barbara Machin (Waking The Dead, Casualty, The Bill), Kieran Prendiville (Ballykissangel, Care, Roughnecks, Vicious Circle), Lizzie Mickery (The State Within, Messiah, Sinners, Burnside), Adrian Hodges (Primeval, Charles II Amongst Women), Ali White (Any Time Now) Peter Norris (Between The Lines, Ultimate Force, Uncle Silas), Kate Triggs (Messiah, Sinners, Any Time Now, Eureka Street, Amongst Women) and BBC Northern Ireland’s former Head of Drama Robert Cooper (Messiah, Sinners, Amongst Women, Truly Madly Deeply, As The Beast Sleeps, Ballykissangel).

BBC Northern Ireland Drama has a reputation for offering the first opportunity to write for television to Northern Irish and Irish writers such as Terry Cafolla (Holy Cross, Messiah), Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack), John Forte, (Henri) Gary Mitchell (As The Beast Sleeps), Pearse Elliott (A Rap At The Door),Barry Devlin (Runway One), Ronan Bennett (Love Lies Bleeding), Anne Devlin (The Long March) Graham Reid (The Billy Plays), Ali White (Any Time Now), Stewart Parker (Catchpenny Twist).

Want to enter? Find out more here.

All submissions should be received by 31 January 2007.

Visit the Writers Room for great advice from 'Doctors' script editors, 'EastEnders' writers and other BBC experts plus meet the people behind the New Writing Initiative.