Could you be the next big comic female writer?

Funny women writers are being called upon to put their comedy genius to paper as the prestigious literary awards Comedy Women In Print (CWIP) return for their fifth year.

The UK and Ireland’s first comedy literary prize dedicated to celebrating witty women’s writing, the CWIP awards - which will again be supported by the University of Hertfordshire - were founded in 2018 by comedian, actress, author and Herts alumna Helen Lederer to provide a platform for both aspiring and established funny women writers.

Applications for the 2025 awards opened today (Monday, 14 April), with writers able to enter three categories; self-published comedy novel, published comedy novel and unpublished comedy novel. Prizes to be won include publishing deals, publicity packages and places on established University courses.

As part of Herts’ ongoing commitment to fostering new talent, the University will be continuing to provide the prize for the 2025 awards for the unpublished comedy novel runner-up: a free place on their prestigious Creative Writing Master of Arts (MA by Research) or the equivalent hours of mentoring with one of the university’s expert creative writing academics.

Professor Mairi Watson, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Our university ethos is to create opportunities that lead to positive outcomes. Alumna Helen Lederer, a wonderful ambassador for Herts, exemplifies this through her CWIP awards. It’s why we are thrilled to support CWIP for another year, providing invaluable opportunities for women across the UK and Ireland to have their writing talent recognised, celebrated, and honed."

“I am so thrilled that the University of Hertfordshire is once again partnering with CWIP," responded Helen Lederer, CWIP founder. "We have changed the conversation about witty women’s writing and firmly placed this prize platform on the literary landscape. There is clear evidence that CWIP’s prizes are meaningful and enable authors to shine. Future mentorships from Herts will undoubtedly lead to more success stories!”

Herts success stories already include Zahra Barri, the first winner of the unpublished comedy novel runner-up prize in 2020, who went on to pursue a PhD at Herts and will soon complete her studies. Her debut and highly acclaimed novel, Daughters of the Nile, was published last year (2024) by Unbound Publishers.

“I’ve always felt a huge amount of gratitude towards Helen Lederer and her ongoing passion, year after year, that sees her championing funny, female writers," said Zahra Barri. "Receiving the Runner Up CWIP prize in 2020 gave me a chance to hone my skills on the brilliant Creative Writing MA at the University of Hertfordshire, which has been career changing for me, leading me onto my PhD.

“The continued support I receive from Herts both academically and creatively, has been integral in developing both my craft and my research skills. I’m excited to see how CWIP continues to inspire and support witty women in the industry, and as always cherish dearly Helen Lederer’s continued cheerleading.”

The most recent winner is screen, poetry and prose creative writer Christina Carty (pictured with Helen Lederer), whose debut novel While He Looked at the Moon not only secured last year’s runner-up CWIP prize but also won the 2023 IWC Novel Fair Award. Now nearing the completion of her MA at Herts, Christina is editing her first feature film script, commissioned by the BBC and beginning her second novel.

Christina said: “I’m enormously grateful to Helen and Herts for the CWIP Prize, it provided a huge boost to my writing as well as an excellent network of hilarious and brilliant writers. Attending Herts has transformed my writing practice and opened up new ways of working. I highly recommend new writers apply!”

Both Zahra and Christina feature in a new video, where they share their experiences and successes.

Entries for the 2025 Comedy Women In Print awards are now open. For more information or to apply, visit the Comedy Women In Print Website.

The University of Hertfordshire’s Creative Writing modules are taught by award-winning poets, fiction and non-fiction writers. Find out more about studying Creative Writing at Herts.