Writers’ Guild Awards: Killing Eve, A Very English Scandal scribes take top honours

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has awarded the top writers for its Writers’ Guild Awards 2019, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Russell T Davies and Heidi Thomas.

Doctor Who scribe Russell T Davies was recognised for his critically acclaimed three-part drama A Very English Scandal, starring Golden Globe winner Ben Whishaw, in the best short form TV drama category.

Davies beat Ordeal by Innocence writer Sarah Phelps and Mother’s Day’s Nick Phelps for the honour.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge took home the award for penning the Best Long Form TV Drama, beating The End of the F***cking World writer Charlie Covell and Trust scribe Alice Nutter.

Elsewhere Mackenzie Crook took home the award for Best TV Situation Comedy award for Detectorists.

Screenwriter and playwright Heidi Thomas, known for Call the Midwife, Little Women and Cranford, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Writing Award.

Thomas was presented by Dame Pippa Harris in honour of her illustrious body of work and career, which includes creating and writing the BBC One smash-hit drama Call The Midwife, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth. The series returned for an eighth season this month.

WGGB president Olivia Hetreed, said: “60 years on from the founding of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain it is thrilling to see that British writing and British writers are in such great shape, with a fantastic array of winners across all disciplines.

“And in the year of our Equality Writes campaign, highlighting the long-term failure to give women writers equal access to film and TV work, it’s impressive to see so many female winners in all categories as well as to celebrate the success of Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas for her Outstanding Contribution to Writing.”