Newcastle author shortlisted for prestigious Ruth Rendell Award

Newcastle author & Illustrator, Glenn Martin James has been shortlisted for the prestigious Ruth Rendell Award 2023, a prize awarded annually to writers that champion literacy amongst children and adults. 

The award was launched in 2016 by the National Literacy Trust and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) in honour of the author Ruth Rendell, who tirelessly championed literacy throughout her lifetime. The award has been supported by the National Literacy Trust since its foundation in 1993. 

This is an enormously prestigious honour for a writer, and Glenn, who lives in May Bank, was surprised and humbled to be shortlisted.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found out,” said Glenn. “My wife saw the email before I did, and when she showed me, I said ME???

“But I am honoured beyond words. I am dyslexic, something I didn’t find out for certain till my early 30’s, and so this is enormously empowering and joyous. I am deeply driven in my writing over working with children and adults to promote reading, writing, and performing whenever I can. It’s vitally important, now more so than ever, and especially after the pandemic.

“As well as the issue of literacy, there are now so many people out there, children and adults, who feel isolated, or are struggling with anxiety and depression in the aftermath, and we have to reach out and help. If I can do that through my writing, storytelling, and performing, I am going to do everything I can.”

Mr James is an accomplished writer, whose first novel for children, ‘Hugo and the Werewolf’, originally written for the children of Ellison Primary Academy, is due out this spring. 

Glenn works in schools around the country and is resident author at Discovery Academy in Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent.

His work is published widely in anthologies and magazines. He works regularly with community events and historical projects, and is about to commence a project with GROW North Staffs and the Brampton Museum to recreate the lost Newcastle-under-Lyme Charter for the Borough’s 850^th anniversary this year.

Contact Glenn at email author@gmjames.co.uk