Congratulations to Brian Thornton from Winchester College who’s the 2025 winner of The Dialog Prize for writers, for his story Convicting the Harmless, a have a look at the systemic limitations going through individuals wrongly convicted of a criminal offense.
We requested lecturers to submit a 2,000-word article and ebook pitch for the competitors, run in partnership with Faber and Curtis Brown, and have been overwhelmed by the amount and high quality of submissions we acquired. It was very tough to select only one winner from throughout numerous themes and types.
Brian’s article and ebook thought was shortlisted by the groups at The Dialog, Curtis Brown and Faber for its sturdy storytelling, exploring systematic failings within the authorized system, and the sturdy use of case research that introduced color to this topic.
The judges stated: “The analysis on the present failings of the authorized system can be of nice curiosity to most of the people, particularly following the fallout from the Publish Workplace scandal. The essay is effectively written and punchy, if stunning and unnerving. Using case research to inform the story works actually very effectively, and makes the piece instantly emotionally gripping – with nice potential to work as a non-fiction ebook.”
Brian stated: “I’m delighted and honoured to have gained the Dialog Prize for writers. My article focuses on miscarriages of justice and the way the system fails harmless individuals. It’s an essential matter however one that’s so usually ignored by media organisations due to the complexity of the instances and the opacity of the authorized system.”
I feel that’s why The Dialog is completely different – it offers a platform for writers to sort out advanced and difficult subjects and permits them the time and house to do them justice. I’m very grateful for the chance to focus on this essential subject – hopefully it might get individuals speaking and fascinated by how one can remedy it!“
Brian is a senior lecturer and programme chief for the BA (Hons) Journalism course on the College of Winchester, and a former producer for BBC Newsnight. He’s additionally one of many founders of the Winchester College’s Crime and Justice Analysis Centre, which specialises in points associated to miscarriages of justice, and is founder and director of the Winchester Innocence Undertaking.
Brian wins £1,000 and mentorship from each Faber and Curtis Brown. You’ll be able to learn his profitable story right here.
Shut runners up within the competitors have been Yvonne Reddick for Hearth on Winter Hill and Nicholas Carter for Residing Stone.
Hearth on Winter Hill blended nature writing, memoir, household obsessions and the politics of local weather change and made an impression all through the shortlisting course of for each the type of the essay and thoughtfulness of the proposal, which showcased a fantastic expertise for storytelling. Written as a private account following within the footsteps of the creator’s father, who labored on oil frontiers from the North Sea to Oman, the judges stated Hearth on Winter Hill was an “affecting memoir” that “superbly and initially explores the hyperlink between mountains and oil.”
Residing Stone gave a glimpse right into a world we don’t ordinarily take into consideration – turning the story of lichens and their relationship with stone right into a extremely authentic piece of writing. The judges stated: “We’d additionally prefer to make a particular point out of Residing Stone, which explores how lichens convey stone to life – blurring the boundary between the residing and the non-living. This matter has nice potential to work as a ebook, arguing that western, slender scientific definitions means lichens are in the end understudied and undervalued.”
An enormous thanks to our judges, Miriam Frankel, senior science editor at The Dialog UK, Priya Atwal, historian, broadcaster and neighborhood historical past fellow on the College of Oxford, and Alice Hunt, professor of early trendy literature and historical past on the College of Southampton. The Dialog Insights crew Paul Keaveny and Mike Herd. And to Fiona Crosby, senior commissioning editor for non-fiction at Faber, and Elliot Prior, affiliate agent at Curtis Brown.
