A North East author has scooped a national comedy writing award for her self-published novel.
Kay Wilson, from East Boldon in South Tyneside, took second place in the self-published category at the Comedy Women in Print (CWIP) Awards for her debut novel The Stand-Up Mam.
The book follows Georgie, a middle-aged mother who pursues her dream of performing stand-up comedy, taking her from her Tyneside kitchen to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Ms Wilson said: "This prize is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate witty women and I’m really proud to be part of it all.
"Hats off to the actor and writer, Helen Lederer, for founding and running these awards, which support female writers like me, to build up our profiles and sell more books."
The award ceremony took place at London’s Groucho Club.
CWIP judge and LoveReading managing director Deborah Maclaren described The Stand-Up Mam as, "warm, riotous and gloriously cathartic".
Ms Maclaren said: "The Stand-Up Mam follows Georgie, a middle-aged mother who swaps domestic perfection for the comedy stage.
"From Tyneside kitchen to the Edinburgh Fringe, her razor-sharp observations expose the cracks beneath the surface of family life while finding laughter in frustration.
"This debut is funny, defiant and oh so relatable – a joyful ode to reinvention and the power of telling your own story."
The Stand-Up Mam was inspired by Ms Wilson’s personal experience of surviving a near-fatal burst aneurysm.
After her recovery, she began working through her bucket list, with stand-up comedy at the top.
She honed her skills in writing and performance at the Edinburgh Fringe, before performing unpaid gigs across the North East.
She began writing The Stand-Up Mam while studying for a Creative Writing MA at Northumbria University.
Last year, she was invited to read her short stories at two New Writing North Read Them Your Writes events.
A few years ago, she also won the New Writing North Flash Fiction competition in partnership with The Journal.
The CWIP Runner-Up Self-Published prize was sponsored by Gloriah, a female health brand.
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The Stand-Up Mam is available from The Bound bookshop in Whitley Bay and on Amazon.
The self-published category was won by Ruth Foster for A Perfect Year?.
Gateshead author Yvonne Vincent was also shortlisted for Game of Trust, part of her Losers Club Murder Mystery series.
More information about Kay Wilson’s work can be found at kaywilsonwriter.com.
