Aspiring writers win acclaimed Frank Deasy Award
Talented TV scriptwriters Katie Douglas from Kilwinning and Kirstie Swain from Berwickshire, have been named as the winners of The Frank Deasy Award 2012-13, an initiative to develop television writing talent in Scotland in conjunction with BBC Scotland, BBC Writersroom and Creative Scotland.
Published: 8 May 2013
The standard of writing for The Frank Deasy Award was extremely high. I was very impressed with the depth of characterisation and imagination at work."
Designed to inspire, develop and celebrate writing talent in Scotland, The Frank Deasy Award was named in honour of the Emmy award-winning writer whose credits include Prime Suspect – The Final Act, Looking After Jo-Jo, Real Men and The Passion. Frank Deasy sadly passed away in 2009, leaving behind a lasting legacy.
Katie and Kirstie will take up the positions of Writers in Residence at BBC Scotland for a period of six months from this summer, with a remit to develop original ideas for BBC One. The aim is to have one of their drama pieces commissioned as a script on the BBC Scotland Drama development slate.
Kirstie is thrilled by her writing accolade: "Where I come from is really important to me as a writer. Scotland is in everything I write and to be recognised by an award that celebrates that makes me really proud. I’m honoured even to be mentioned in the same sentence as a writer like Frank Deasy. I don’t know if I share anything with him in terms of writing skill, but I know I definitely share his affection for Glasgow and Scotland and I can’t wait to explore that with BBC Scotland. Plus, it means that the £18.76 I spent on Royal Mail Special Delivery charges was worth it!"
A delighted Katie adds: "Entering The Frank Deasy Award was a leap of faith as I'm well aware of the depth of talent amongst my fellow Scottish writers. To be selected is a thrill and an honour and I hope to justify the judges choice by working hard to develop myself and my ideas in an effort to make Scottish drama even stronger."
Katie and Kirstie scripts were selected from over a hundred entrants, and judged by a panel which included actor Douglas Henshall; Edinburgh playwright and director Zinnie Harris; Christopher Aird, Head of Drama, BBC Scotland; Kate Rowland, BBC Creative Director, New Writing; and Laura Mackenzie Stuart, Portfolio Manager, Creative Scotland.
Christopher Aird, Head of Drama, BBC Scotland, says: “The standard of writing for The Frank Deasy Award was extremely high. I was very impressed with the depth of characterisation and imagination at work. In the end we were presented with a difficult decision to choose our winners, but I am confident Kirstie and Katie will be a huge asset to the BBC Scotland drama team and hope to commission original scripts from them both in due course.”
Kate Rowland, BBC Creative Director, New Writing, adds: “All of us judges were so excited by the range and vitality of the writers for this year’s Frank Deasy Award, as they all brought something unique with them. But on this occasion Katie Douglas and Kirstie Swain came with such strong ideas and such passion for the opportunity that our final decision was made a lot easier. We really look forward to a new relationship being forged.”
Katie Douglas biography
Katie is a prize-winning scriptwriter whose work has spanned drama and comedy both here and in the States. She has a wealth of experience under her belt both as a writer for hire and adaptor and has worked on such shows as Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, After You've Gone, MI High, Waterloo Road and EastEnders. She currently has several original comedy and drama projects in active development. As a playwright, she has worked with a number of theatres, including Liverpool Everyman, the RSC, Paines Plough, Soho and Southwark Playhouse, and her work has been shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her most recent play, Dig, was described by Joyce Macmillan as 'a small masterpiece'.
Kirstie Swain biography
Kirstie Swain is a Scottish writer originally from Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. She is now based in London and is a graduate of the BBC Writers Academy 2011/2012. Since then, she has gone on to write for some of BBC One's biggest flagship shows, including Holby City, EastEnders and Doctors. She was recently shortlisted for the BBC Three iPlays strand and is currently developing ideas with BBC In-House and Hillbilly Films and Television. Her play Demolition In Progress was performed at London's Baron's Court Theatre in 2011 and she co-wrote Our Days Of Rage for the National Youth Theatre, which was performed in the Old Vic Tunnels over the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Notes to editors
BBC Writersroom champions new writing talent in film, television, radio, and theatre. Recent successes include Welsh writer Debbie’s Moon CBBC hit series Wolfblood and BBC Three drama In The Flesh by Dominic Mitchell. They run schemes targeting talent from a range of sources and work in partnerships with theatres, writers' organisations, screen agencies, and the wider cultural industries. BBC Writersroom helps new writers develop their craft through professional training, the website and in open sessions around the country with the UK's best writing talent - bbc.co.uk/writersroom
Creative Scotland is the national leader for Scotland’s arts, screen and creative industries. Its role is to help Scotland’s creativity shine at home and abroad. Creative Scotland invests in talented people, exciting ideas and the creative industries - and champions everything that’s good about Scottish creativity. Scotland boasts an incredible range of talent, from award-winning directors and writers to widely recognised actors and internationally renowned musicians, visual artists, architects and digital companies. As a result of the wealth of indigenous talent, Scotland produces a huge volume of home-grown productions and products each year. As Scotland’s national funding and development agency, Creative Scotland is there to support and nurture creative excellence and to encourage widespread participation in the arts.
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