2021 Women's Prize For Playwriting reveals judging panel and this year's plans

Plans and the judging panel have been revealed for the Women's Prize for Playwriting, which returns for its second year.

Created by Ellie Keel Productions (EKP) and Paines Plough, with principal partner 45North and in association with Sonia Friedman Production, the prize is now open for submissions, with a closing date on 12 July at 5pm. The eventual winner will be unveiled in January 2022.

The judges for this year's Prize are Arifa Akbar, Mel Kenyon (Chair), Lucy Kirkwood, Winsome Pinnock, Jasmine Lee-Jones, Indhu Rubasingham, Jenny Sealey, Nina Steiger, Nicola Walker and Jodie Whittaker.

Keel said: "I'm delighted to be propelled into Year 2 of The Women's Prize for Playwriting by such positive news for our First Prize winner from last year, Amy Trigg. Amy's play Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me will have a full run at Kiln Theatre and will be produced for audio by Audible. With the help of our excellent partner organisations, this year we'll be equally ambitious for our winners, as we strive for proper gender equality in the writers of plays for national stages. We can't wait to read the brilliant plays by women that we know are out there."

The Prize is for a full-length play (defined as over 60 minutes in length), written in English, and the winning playwright wins £12,000. Any person of 16 years or older who is resident in the UK and Ireland and identifies as female can enter.

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