"It was such a joy to read these essays."
Established in 2013, the Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA) is an annual writing development programme that includes the UK’s only free national competition for all underrepresented writers.
As the event returned for 2026, the platform continued to celebrate several South Asian writers who achieved commendable success.
South Asian writers include people from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, and Nepalese backgrounds.
The 2026 CFWA focussed on the theme of ‘Material’, upon which many of the winning submissions were based.
South Asian competitors attained victory across a wide range of categories.
Let’s find out who are the South Asian success of the 2026 Creative Future Writers’ Award.
Duranka Perera has won the Silver award in the poetry category.
His submission was the experimental poem, The Forgotten Practical Considerations of Being Bombed and Invaded by a Pseudo-Colonial Power.
The poem captures the experience of living in a war zone, from not having enough food or power, to clearing up the wreckage of a home after it has been it in an airstrike.
Duranka is an academic neurosurgical trainee from London.
He was shortlisted for the #Merky Books New Writer’s Prize 2021 and is an alumnus of the HarperCollins Author Academy.
Follow Duranka on Instagram here.
The Indian-born speculative writer, Abhishek Parasrampuria, won the Gold Prize in the Fiction category, for The Evidence Room.
It is a powerful story about a young overseas student who becomes the victim of a hate crime, exploring violence, empathy, and the failings of the justice system.
Abhishek is based in London, and his work explores psychology, identity, and the ethics of emerging technologies.
A certified Mental Health First Aider, he graduated from the London School of Economics, and is currently editing his debut novel, The Prognosis.
Of The Evidence Room, Abhishek said: “I wrote this story around a question that stayed with me: What happens to empathy when you have every reason to stop extending it?”
Follow Abhishek on Instagram here.
The Bronze Prize for Fiction was won by Piyumi Kapugeekiyana, for her story, Cutting.
Set in Sri Lanka, the story explores colonialism, economic hardship and resilience with humour and hope as a single mother and star machine operator prepares for the visit of a British delegation to the garment factory where she works.
Piyumi is a Sri Lankan writer based in London who won the 2025 4thWrite Prize and was a 2024–2025 recipient of the City Lit Malorie Blackman Scholarship for Unheard Voices.
She has just completed a short story collection and is working on a historical novel.
Follow Piyumi on Instagram here.
Judge of the 2026 Creative Future Writers’ Award, Author, Screenwriter and Playwright Courttia Newland, said:
“Taking part in judging this award was meaningful and fun.
“The standard was very high and it was great to see how people were wrestling and challenging themselves, not just with form and language, but by exploring their fears, joys, anxieties and their place in the world, at a time when this has never been more necessary.
“I applaud everyone who was brave enough to submit to the award, especially our winners.
“Know that you have been read, enjoyed and debated with great enthusiasm!”
Judge Nancy Campbell, Poet and Memoirist, added: “What a privilege to spend the summer reading new fiction, non-fiction and poetry which demonstrates such outstanding creative talent.
“Congratulations are due to all the writers on the shortlist for their courage in submitting their work.”
“In uncertain and precarious times, language can occasionally seem inadequate to express injustice and trauma.
“Yet, these writers are forging work that is vital, radical, and exciting.”
“It’s really good news for the publishing industry that, with the Creative Future Writers’ Award, these compelling voices will find new readers.”
Judge Kieran Yates, Journalist, Broadcaster, Author and Editor, said: “It was such a joy to read these essays and get a sense of what writers are thinking about in relation to the theme, and beyond.
“The process encouraged me to be thoughtful, engaged and made me consider what I love about literature all over again.”
The winners will be highlighted during a showcase on October 30, 2026.
On October 25, in association with Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club, there will also be a free Writers’ Day, available in-person and online.
During the event, writers, publishers, and literary professionals, will share tips and initiatives in a day of talks and panel events.
Find out more information here.
