The Luke Bitmead Bursary is an annual award set up to support and encourage the work of fledgling novel writers. The award, now in it’s 7th year, is the UK’s biggest prize for unpublished authors. Read all about it at the Legend Press blog. Submissions are now open for the 2014 award. 

The bursary was set up by Luke’s family shortly after Luke’s sudden and tragic death in 2006, aged just 34. Luke was the first novelist to be published by Legend Press, who are delighted to work with Luke’s family each year on the award to honour his memory and help reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues. The top prize is a publishing contract with Legend Press, as well as a £2500 cash bursary.

Luke is the author of the brilliant White Summer, and also two novels published posthumously: The Body is a Temple and Heading South (co-authored by Catherine Richards). Information about Luke can be found at his web site.

If any of you do enter into correspondence with Legend, please don’t forget to mention where you heard of this. Thanks.