New Writers UK – A brief history
Established in 2022, New Writers UK (aka NewWriters.org.uk) began as a mechanism for its founders, Robin Cohen and David Hanson, to explore their love of creative writing.
Having run content writing and editorial businesses together since 2010, and having dabbled in literary fiction publishing in the mid-noughties (which wasn’t quite as easy as they’d hoped!), Robin and David wanted to create a website that could promote and encourage new and experienced writers of poetry and prose to express themselves and gain recognition (and cash prizes!) by entering writing competitions. And here it is!
Vision
At NewWriters.org.uk, we encourage writers to put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboards) to create unique, compelling stories and poems. We highlight opportunities for writers and organise regular writing competitions (many of which are free to enter) and provide resources – or links to resources – to help writers improve their craft.
We believe anyone should be able – indeed encouraged – to pursue creative writing, whether as a hobby or potentially as a career. As such, we run regular free-to-enter writing competitions (with cash prizes). We also offer free entries to our paid-entry competition to writers living on a low income and offer regular financial support to the UK’s leading creative writing charity (see below).
Masthead
Bob Cohen
An avid reader and lover of literature for as long as he can remember, Robin orchestrates the business side of New Writers UK, including the administration of the all-important prize funds and payments to writers who win our competitions.
An experienced editor with an eye for detail and a love of flair, Robin’s favourite authors include J. P. Donleavy, George Orwell, Margaret Atwood and George Eliot. Although Robin hasn’t published any of his own stories or poems – preferring to write for his own pleasure – he’s performed a few at poetry slams and festivals over the years.
After completing a degree in Philosophy and Politics at The University of Liverpool a thousand moons ago, Robin travelled the world and then worked for a decade in the travel industry (where he met David).
A lifelong sports lover – particularly football and cricket – Robin began working as a freelance sports journalist in 2009 before teaming up with David to create their content writing business in 2010 (Authentic Content UK).
Robin travels whenever he can and has visited scores of countries across every continent except Antarctica, where he loves exploring the cultural highlights (and bars and restaurants) and checking out the local bookshops for hitherto undiscovered gems.
David Hanson
David – who publishes his work as DLC Hanson – is a published poet and author who has received Best of the Net (Sundress Publications) and Pushcart Prize (Pushcart Press) and his work has been published in Raw Lit, The Colored Lens, Dark Poets Club and several other publications.
His stories have been finalists in several Globe Soup competitions, including their 2024 Open Short Story Competition, and gained an honourable mention in The Moth Short Story Prize 2022 (as selected by Booker-nominated author, Sarah Hall). His poetry has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and selected as a finalist in Friction Lit’s Poetry Contest. Currently editing his debut novel, earlier drafts were longlisted for both the Cheshire Novel Prize and the Grindstone International Novel Prize.
Having completed a Masters degree in Education with Linguistics and several formal and not-so-formal creative writing courses, David is an experienced and skilled editor who can analyse and assess stories, novels and poems that encompass many styles and structures.
Like Robin, David plied his trade in the travel sector (after exploring three corners of the globe), before stints in the charity sector and as a careers advisor, while always writing on the side. After finding neither fame nor fortune in London, David joined forces with his old buddy Robin to create their content writing and editorial business. He also started a (disco/funk/pop) covers band and set to work on his novel.
Charities we support Supporting people to create and thrive
Since starting their first business in 2010, Robin and David have always been keen to ‘give something back’, and have long supported The Funzi & Bodo Trust, a UK-registered charity, Leeds-based that has undertaken amazing developmental and educational work in two villages in Kenya.
When we started NewWriters.org.uk, we also wanted to support a charity that worked specifically with the creative arts, and that’s when we found out about the amazing creative writing charity, First Story who, in their words “equip students in underserved communities with the confidence and skills to tell their own stories.”
Our commitment: Every time we run a writing competition that requires an entry fee, we will donate a proportion of the proceeds to these charities. More information can be found on our charities page.
A note on copyright
Copyright on all work that appears on this site belongs to the respective authors/poets. Work may not be copied or distributed without permission. When we publish work on our website, authors/poets have agreed to grant First Electronic Rights to New Writers UK with exclusivity until the publication date, after which all rights revert to the artist/poet.
Privacy Policy
New Writers UK will not share the e-mail addresses or personal information of its subscribers or contributors for any reason unless we have received the written permission of said contributors (for instance when required to claim a third-party prize such as a writing course or a signed novel).