Winner of the 2017 Bruntwood Prize announced

Following the submission of nearly two thousand plays, this year's winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting has been announced as Bristol-based writer Timothy X Atack.

Atack was awarded the £16,000 prize for his play Heartworm – about a couple renting out their spare room to an odd guest. He joins previous winners including Duncan Macmillan, Alistair McDowall and Vivienne Franzmann.

On winning the prize, Atack said: "It is the most amazing boost to my confidence as a writer and theatre-maker. I’m truly excited for conversations to begin about making a play I’m very proud of in a theatre I really love."

Three Judges' Prizes were also announced today for Tim Foley (Electric Rosary), Laurie Nunn (King Brown) and Sharon Clark (Plow), who each receive £8,000.

All four scripts will now be developed by the Royal Exchange, with Heartworm being co-produced by the Royal Exchange and the Royal Court.

Michael Oglesby, co-founder of the Bruntwood Prize also awarded commendations and £4000 to Joshua Val Martin (This is Not America) and Rebecca Callard (A Bit of Light).

The winning scripts were chosen by a judging panel of eight, including Kirsty Lang, Russell T Davies and Lucy Prebble.

On this year's prize, he said: "We’ve seen a remarkable standard in entries to the competition. Our overall winner Timothy X Atack has produced a beautiful piece of work and we are thrilled to be supporting him and the other Judges’ Prize winners on their playwriting journey."