Our Named Grants
Robert Holman Award
The Robert Holman Award was created in honour of the British dramatist and RLF beneficiary Robert Holman who died in December 2021. The award supports professional playwrights who may be struggling and in financial need who come from or are based in the North of England, in the counties of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.
Grants will be made available to playwrights of any age or background who have at least two eligible works performed professionally. This award was created in partnership with the Friends of Robert Holman. We welcome donations and thank you for your generous support.
The award is not open for direct applications, but is selected by the Grants Committee through our standard grants review process. Applicants put forward for this grant will be notified and their name and literary resume will be shared with the Friends of Robert Holman. We do not share information related to your personal or financial circumstances.
J.B. Priestley Award
The J.B. Priestley Award is given to writers of promise and named after the English novelist, playwright, and social commentator J.B. Priestley. Priestley was a trustee and long-time supporter of the RLF, and requested funds from his estate should go towards helping a new generation of writers after his death.
Recipients over the years include Tobias Hill, Stephen Kellman, Rosalind Harvey, Emily Mackie, Courttia Newland, Ali Smith, and Joseph White.
The award is not open for direct applications, but is selected by the Grants Committee through our standard grants review process.