牛牛资源

An alumnus from 牛牛资源 has been awarded the first Spread the World Life Writing Prize for an essay telling the story of his relationship with his father.

Jon Paul Roberts鈥� text, 鈥�1955 鈥� 2012鈥� was praised by the judging panel for its 鈥榚legance, restraint and honesty鈥� in its description of the final days of his father鈥檚 life.

The judges also made mention of the 鈥榮ophisticated and clever way the focus of the story was revealed鈥�. 

Roberts was awarded his prize 鈥� membership to the Royal Society of Literature, an Arvon course and 拢1,500 鈥� at a ceremony at 牛牛资源 earlier this month.

Roberts is an essayist, journalist and screenwriter. He is currently working on a 鈥榤emoir-in essays鈥� about his anxieties, the people who made him, the men he鈥檚 fallen for and the places he鈥檚 travelled to.

He said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this award will settle in for some time to come. At the risk of outing myself as an oddball dream believer, I had two dreams the week I was expecting to hear back. In the first, I got an email that said I was on the longlist and in the second I got an email about being on the shortlist so, as corny as it sounds, I didn鈥檛 even dream I鈥檇 win.

鈥淎s it happens, I spend a lot of my time watching Oscar acceptance speeches on YouTube when I鈥檓 trying to avoid writing, so I know it can be quite annoying when someone keeps saying they didn鈥檛 expect it, but I actually didn鈥檛. It鈥檚 so thrilling and such an honour to have won. I really am over the moon.鈥�

Established by Spread the Word in 2016 thanks to a philanthropic donation, the Life Writing Prize is open to emerging life writers based in the UK for previously unpublished complete, or beginning extracts of life writing of up to 5000 words.