The Biyi Bándélé Bursary is a new initiative established by the family of Biyi Bándélé in partnership with Brixton House and Curtis Brown to honor the legacy of acclaimed Nigerian writer and filmmaker Biyi Bándélé. In 2024, we celebrated his life with a special memorial event at Brixton House with stories of his incredible life and works to coincide with his final novel, Yorùbá Boy Running. 

In the first year, this annual award will support three emerging writers of African diaspora heritage, aged 18 and over, who are living in the UK. The award is designed to foster new talent, encourage bold storytelling, and amplify voices within theatre, film and literature. The bursaries will be awarded at an event at Brixton House in October, with the programme beginning in Spring 2027.

We welcome applications from African diaspora writers of 18 years or older who have had at least one previous work published and/or publicly produced.

Objectives: 

• To celebrate and extend Biyi Bándélé’s legacy by nurturing the next generation of African diaspora storytellers.
• To provide holistic support that enables writers to develop original work across any storytelling medium.
• To create pathways into the creative industries through mentorship, development opportunities, and industry exposure.

What the Award offers:

• A cash bursary for each selected writer to support creative development
• A tailored mentorship programme
• Access to creative development support and rehearsal space at Brixton House
• Creative clinics, workshops and curated networking opportunities across the year
• Table read / scratch performance
• Agent zoom
• Script doctor/notes

Eligibility criteria: 

For the purposes of this programme, “African diaspora heritage” refers to individuals who self-identify as being of African descent and whose ancestry includes communities historically dispersed from the African continent through migration or other forms of global movement. 

Applicants are not required to provide genealogical documentation. Self-identification is sufficient. 

This bursary prioritises applicants who identify as being of African diaspora heritage, in alignment with the programme’s mission to support historically underrepresented writers. 

• Applicants must be aged 18 or over and of African diaspora heritage. 
• Must be based in the UK. 
• Open to writers across theatre, screen, and literary disciplines who are building a body of work.  
• Be actively engaged in writing (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, spoken word, or hybrid forms). 
• Submit original work. 
• Confirm that submitted material is their own and not generated by automated systems without substantial human authorship.  

Timeline:

• Applications open: 1 June 2026 
• Application deadline: 28 August 2026 
• Shortlisted applicants invited to an online interview: W/c 5 October 2026
• Successful recipients contacted: 9 October 2026
• Event at Brixton House: 19 October 2026