UK National lottery franchise DNA Films has unveiled the five winners of its First Draft scheme for new writers, this year run with training body The Script Factory.

Aimed at encouraging writing at grass roots level, the scheme has selected Elizabeth Clarke Melville's All Rise, a true story about a young criminal barrister, and David Jackson's No Fun Without U, billed as A Midsummer Night's Dream set in the London art and media scene.

Also securing the scheme's sponsorship awards of $16,600 are Juliet McKoen and Jayne Steel for their sun, sand and seasonal working story, Thereby Hangs A Tale; Kerry Swash's British bullfighting story Bull; and Cas Willing's What's The Time', about a girl who comes out of coma to discover she has a son.

Now in their third year, the First Draft awards are used to pay for professional support from script editors and provide each writer with a $1,400 development grant.

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