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Little Chick announces Emerging Writers Scheme 2026 cohort

May 12, 2026

Little Chick has announced the 12 participants from across the UK and Ireland who have been selected as the next cohort for the Little Chick Emerging Writers Scheme, following over 1,300 applications.

Little Chick’s Emerging Writers Scheme 2026 is a TV drama focused writing programme for early-career professional screenwriters, supported by WDM Entertainment, the Arvon Foundation and 42 Management & Production. The aim of the programme is to champion distinctive voices and ambitious storytelling.

Passionate about supporting new voices in the industry, Little Chick was founded by BAFTA and Emmy award-winning writer Abi Morgan (The Split, Eric, Shame). Dorcas Morgan joined in 2020 and now heads up the Emerging Talent Programme.

Little Chick Emerging Writers Scheme | 2026 cohort:

  • Billie Collins is a writer from the Wirral, currently based in Manchester. They have previously written for the Liverpool Everyman Theatre, ThickSkin Theatre, BBC Radio 4 and CBBC.

  • Eno Mfon is a screenwriter, playwright and poet. Her work spans acclaimed theatre productions, BBC Sounds and Audible dramas, the RTS-winning short film Check the Label, and her latest film Spray Me.

  • Hugo Timbrell is a writer from London who likes stories with great plots, interesting forms and things that make you laugh. His first two plays, My Life as a Cowboy and An Instinct are both published by Methuen Drama.

  • Jasmer Gill is a writer-director developing his debut feature Wolves & Sheep with Greenacre Films and Story Compound. His previous short Sellout is currently on the festival circuit.

  • Joanne Lau is a British-Canadian-Chinese writer who adores morally grey stories that toe the line between dark and comedic. Her debut play Worth was staged at Arcola Theatre and Chester Storyhouse, and published by Methuen Drama in 2023.

  • Lorna Tetteh King is a Ghanaian-Scottish screenwriter of drama, and graduate of Screen Academy Scotland. She wrote an original pilot under commission for Sky as part of the Young Films Foundation and delivered her first episode of River City in 2022.

  • Martha Loader is a writer, actor and producer based in Ipswich. She won the Judges Award at The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, 2022 for her play Bindweed and was nominated as a writer at The Stage Debut Awards, 2024. Her play The Town won the George Devine Award, 2025.

  • Matthew Tallon is a writer, director and comedian from Dublin, Ireland. His work explores the social personas we construct to conceal insecurities, often through the lenses of sexuality, class and gender.

  • Muyiwa Adesokun is an author and filmmaker. His debut feature film, Shina, was the second most-watched film on Netflix in Nigeria in 2024. He is currently developing his second feature film and second poetry collection.

  • Rabiah Hussain is a London-based writer whose most recent work was produced at The Royal Court Theatre. She has been part of the BBC Drama Room and BBC TV Drama Writers’ Programmes and is currently developing her original ideas for TV.

  • Rhys Warrington is a Welsh writer and actor. His play Monument will receive its world premiere in December 2026 as part of the Royal Court’s 70th Anniversary Season.

  • Sarah Harkins is a London-based writer-director. Last year, she wrote and directed the short film Miles Away, backed by Refuge and executive producer Harriet Walter, and is now developing it into a feature.

The selected cohort of writers will participate in a five-day residential retreat in June at one of Arvon’s writing houses in the UK, featuring intensive workshops, tutorials, and guest speakers from across the entertainment industry. Following the retreat, writers will enter a six-month guided development period, with mentorship from Morgan and Sue Gibbs (Executive Producer and Head of Development, Heyday Television UK). During this time, they will be assigned a script editor for one-to-one editorial meetings to develop a TV pilot. The aim of the course is to nurture their voices, bring confidence to their work, and help participants forge new relationships within the industry.

Morgan commented: “Launched in 2025, the Little Chick Emerging Writers Scheme is back for a second year. We designed the scheme to encourage and support a diverse cohort of emerging writers, and help foster confidence, creativity and community in an exciting yet increasingly challenging time in our industry. Put simply, we are trying to give writers who feel on the outside time and space to do the thing they do best, which is write.”

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