The award, now in its tenth year, was created in memory of Kevin Elyot (1951–2014). This year marks its largest grant to date and invites writers, scholars and creative practitioners to work closely with Elyot’s papers, held at the Theatre Collection, with applications closing on Sunday 31 May 2026.
Funded by an endowment from Kevin’s family, the award enables the recipient to develop a new piece of writing or creative or academic work inspired by Elyot’s legacy.
Last year’s winners were playwright James Ley and writer, performer and musician Roxana Vilk.
James said: “From my time reading his notebooks, in the peaceful surrounds of the Theatre Collection, I have been inspired to write an original play that began as a conversation with some of Kevin’s ideas and, one that responds to the challenge I take from his work: to write plays from a place of passion that really mean something and are worthy of underlining, circling and lots of exclamation marks.”
Roxana added: “Being close to Elyot's process has given me real comfort, seeing that these moments are part of every writer's journey, and that despite the ups and downs, he was constantly generating new ideas, some realised and others not, yet he carried on regardless.
“Recently I have been particularly drawn to his adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels for the screen, of which he completed many. Witnessing and learning from his process of moving between stagecraft and screen craft has been genuinely illuminating. There is so much to absorb and be inspired by in this archive. I am so glad I applied, and I would urge anyone who is thinking of doing so to just go for it.”
The £5,000 Kevin Elyot Award supports a flexible writer‑in‑residence period at the University of Bristol’s Theatre Collection.
Sian Williams, Keeper at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, said: “Since 2016, the award has enabled writers to produce new work including plays, publications, blog series and facilitate a wide range of workshops. Elyot’s archive is an extraordinary record of his creative process, captured in meticulous notebooks, drafts and script revisions. The award gives writers the time and space to be curious, to experiment and to draw inspiration from this material. It’s always a joy to introduce new writers to Elyot’s archive and see what new ideas are sparked.”
The residency can be undertaken in a format that suits the award holder, with time used to begin or complete a new piece of work inspired by the Collection. Supported by Theatre Collection staff and, where appropriate, professional writing support, the award is expected to result in a publicly disseminated creative or academic outcome.
Further details of the award and the application process can be found here.