Jewish Literary Foundation

Genesis Emerging Writers’ Programme

In 2021 the Genesis Foundation and the Jewish Literary Foundation (formerly Jewish Book Week) launched the Genesis Emerging Writers’ Programme to champion and support emerging writers in the UK. The programme offers bursaries and mentorship to ten emerging writers over 18 years of age, of any background, writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

The ten selected emerging writers in the 2025/26 programme are: 

Christina Care, Irene Morlino, Arran Davage, and Lia Martin (fiction); Stav Meishar, Lottie Whalen, and Laura Godfrey-Isaacs (non-fiction); Chloe Yale Pinto, Gemma Barnett and Catherine Norris (poetry).

Mentors participating in the 2025/26 programme are:

Kate Worsley, Olivia Sudjic, Sanjida and Benjamin Markovits (fiction); Thomas Harding, Rebecca Abrams and Samantha Ellis (non-fiction); Adam Kammerling, Agnieszka Studzińska and Stav Poleg (poetry).

Previous participants were:

2024/25

Mentees: Alison Green, Hannah Silver, Lucy Thynne, Marianne Paget and Megan McKeown (fiction); Aleph Ross, Sabine Casparie and Sam (non-fiction); Timothy Fox and Charlotte Salkind (poetry).

Mentors: Alex Gerlis, Ali Shaw, Daisy Buchanan, Nicholas Royle and Sanjida (fiction); Robin Ince, Lily Dunn and Clare Mulley (non-fiction); Tamar Yoseloff and Jacqueline Saphra (poetry).

Read more about the 2024/25 cohort

2023/24

Mentees: Sean Gilbert, Mariyam Karolia, Harriet Matthews, and Susan Royston (fiction); Sharon Kanolik, Angus Reilly, and Eleanor Thom (non-fiction); Beth Frieden, Michael Mullen and Evie Ward (poetry).

Mentors: Julie Cohen, Ruth Gilligan, Adam Lebor, and Sophie Mackintosh (fiction); Helen Fry, Viv Groskop, and Keiron Pim (non-fiction); Sarah Blake, Jen Calleja and Michael Pedersen (poetry).

Read more about the 2023/24 cohort

2022/23

Mentees: Amy Abrahams, Helen Bain and Leeor Ohayon (fiction); Caroline Gardiner, Tilly Rubens and Aaron Taylor (non-fiction); Oakley Flanagan, Rachel Lewis, Amelia Loulli and Natalie Perman (poetry).

Mentors: Ashley Hickson-Lovence and Charlotte Mendelsson (fiction); Bidisha Mamata and, Anne Sebba, and Dominic Selwood (non-fiction); and Wayne Holloway-Smith, Ruth Padel and Jack Underwood (poetry).

Read more about the 2022/23 cohort

2021/22

Mentees: Sara Doctors, Sophie Dumont, Madeleine Dunnigan, Linda Ford, Philip Glassborow, Fiona Monahan, Eleanor Myerson, Julie Noble, Karen E. H. Skinazi and Guy Stagg. 

Mentors: Tracy Chevalier, Benjamin Markovits and AD Miller, (fiction); Sam Leith and Kavita Puri (journalism); Caroline Moorehead, George Prochnik and Cathy Rentzenbrink (non-fiction); and Sophie Herxheimer and George Szirtes (poetry).

Read more about the 2021/22 cohort

Alumni updates

Achievements from our emerging writers alumni include:

• Guy Stagg‘s The World Within being published by Simon & Schuster in July 2025.
• Timothy Fox’s Poetry Collection being published by the Poetry Book Society in February 2025.
• Linda Ford‘s debut collection Lucent being published in autumn 2022 and Arts Council England (ACE) is funding research and development for a new poetry sequence. 
• Helen Bain being shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2023.
• Madeleine Dunnigan being represented by Emma Paterson at Aitken Alexander and a draft of her book was a finalist for the Mslexia First Novel Award 2023. 
• Oakley Flanagan’s G&T being published published by Out-Spoken Press in summer 2023.
• Aaron Taylor won a 2023 Churchill Fellowship for his research and is now represented by Natasha Fairweather at RCW. 
• E.K. Myerson’s The Desire for “Syria” in Medieval England being published by Cambridge University Press.
• Philip Glassborow’s musical One Kid, Two Farthings, based on Wolf Mankowitz’s A Kid For Two Farthings, being performed in conjunction with the Museum of London’s next major exhibition Fashion City. 
• Fiona Monahan completing her book, including a foreword by her mentor, biographer Caroline Moorehead. 

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