The 29th Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards ceremony was held February 14 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. It honored two years of the best of British writing following the cancellation of last year’s awards due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The awards are given in 16 categories of film, television, radio, theatre, comedy, books and videogames.

Jo Fletcher noted in an email, “The pertinent one (for me!) is Eli Lee winning Best First Novel for A Strange and Brilliant Light,” which is published by Jo Fletcher Books.

Russell T Davies, known to fans for Doctor Who, won for his non-sff series It’s a Sin, which “follows a group of gay men who move to London in 1981. They form a friendship group but the fast-developing HIV/AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom impacts their lives.”

Stage and screen writer Jack Thorne was presented with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Writing Award. His work includes co-writing BBC’s fantasy drama trilogy His Dark Materials, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre.

Best Writing in a Video Game was awarded to Jon Ingold for Overboard!

The complete list of winners follows the jump. (See the full shortlists here).

Outstanding Contribution to Writing

• Jack Thorne

Best Online Comedy

• Remember Getting the Period Talk at School #Menopause by Hannah George, Taylor Glenn and Catie Wilkins

Best Long Running TV Series

• River City, Series 21, Episode 28 by Jillian Mannion

Best Writing in a Video Game

• Overboard! by Jon Ingold

Best Children’s TV Episode

• My Mum Tracy Beaker: I want my Mum back by Emma Reeves

Best Radio Comedy

• Olga Koch: Fight by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin

Best Long Form TV Drama

• It’s A Sin by Russell T Davies

Best First Novel

• A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee

Best First Screenplay

• Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell

Best Radio Drama

• The Half Widow by Avin Shah

Best Play for Young Audiences

• Whatever Happened to the Jaggy Nettles? by Martin Travers

Best Play

• The Syrian Baker by Kevin Dyer

Best Screenplay

• The Personal History of David Copperfield by Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci

Best TV Situation Comedy

• Feel Good by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson

Best Short Form TV Drama

• Elizabeth is Missing by Andrea Gibb

Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting

• Black Love by Chinonyerem Odimba

[Based on a press release. Thanks to Jo Fletcher for the story.]