Bestselling author supports young talent

A popular north-east author helping a fledgling writer at her former university, with financial support and a money-can’t-buy insight into the publishing world.

Glenda Young, best-selling author of historical sagas set in Ryhope and cosy crimes set in Scarborough, launched The Glenda Young Prize for Creative Writing earlier this year with the University of Sunderland. The scholarship of £2,000 includes expert support from Glenda on how to break into the world of publishing.

Grace-Mae Carpenter is the winner of the 2023 Glenda Young Prize. Grace Mae, from Seaburn, has just started her English: Creative and Professional Writing degree at Sunderland. The 18-year-old hopes that the award will help her in a future career as a writer and teacher, and plans to pass on Glenda’s insight, and her love for literature, to others.

Grace-Mae says: “I applied for the Glenda Young Prize because I thought that through Glenda’s support and our shared love for reading and literature I could further develop my writing skills. I would love to pursue a career in journalism or teaching, where I can pass on my love for literature and the skills I’m learning around writing to others.

“It is really inspirational that Glenda is giving opportunities to local young women to pursue creative writing careers.”

Glenda Young is the author of eight historical sagas set in Ryhope, the first of which, Belle of the Back Streets, was published in 2018, and the most recent, The Sixpenny Orphan, published in paperback this year. She is also the author of three ‘cosy crime’ thrillers set in Scarborough, which were shortlisted at the Dead Good Readers Awards, alongside Val McDermid and Richard Osmond, at the 2022 Harrogate Crime Festival.

Glenda says: “It’s an absolute honour for me to be in a position where I’m able to offer this package of support to a student at the University of Sunderland. And I’m delighted that Grace-Mae has been chosen to receive the award.  I’m very impressed by Grace’s determination and her love of books and literature.

“I hope the award will help her make the most of every single minute of her time at University. She’s an intelligent, creative young woman with the world at her feet and I look forward to seeing where her love for writing takes her. When she’s ready, I’ll be here for her with advice on finding a literary agent and how to get her work into print with a leading publisher.”

Glenda’s new book, Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel, a cosy crime novel starring a team of obsessive crazy golfers in Scarborough, is out now in paperback. Published by Headline.