‘Succession’ EP Lucy Prebble awarded 2019 Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship

Lucy Prebble

Succession exec producer Lucy Prebble has been awarded the prestigious 2019 Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship.

The Wellcome Trust’s seventh annual fellowship – which is presented in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI) and Film4 – awards a screenwriter with £30,000 ($38,000) to explore the intersection between screenwriting, health and science. Writers are granted access to cutting-edge scientific and humanities research that can serve as inspiration or the foundation for a scripted project.

Prebble is the creator of the series Secret Diary Of A Call Girl and is also an EP and writer for the Emmy Award-winning drama Succession.

Her plays include A Very Expensive Poison, The Effect, Enron and The Sugar Syndrome.

Prebble said: “I am so thrilled to be awarded the Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship. It has been given to some brilliant artists and I am honoured to be in their company. I have always been a research-hungry writer and I am delighted to be offered such a generous opportunity to feed that. The Wellcome Collection is exactly the sort of place and resource I would go to for beguiling procrastination. Now I can legitimately go there.

“I am hoping to explore issues of biology and transformation for a horror film I am planning to write, as well as look into the amazing collection of curios and information on the golden age of magic that their recent exhibition has housed, for a long-term project. Wellcome is such an unqualifiedly positive thing: curiosity, good faith and a sense of cultural community. I am genuinely touched to be part of their vision.”

The Fellow is selected from a list of writers nominated by the film and television industry. Previous recipients of the Fellowship include Rungano Nyoni (2018), Michaela Coel (2017), Sally Wainwright (2016), Carol Morley (2015), Jonathan Glazer (2014) and Clio Barnard (2013).

Prebble was awarded the Fellowship at a reception at the Wellcome Trust in London on Wednesday (27 November).

Research and entertainment body OKRE debuts

The same evening also saw the launch of OKRE (Opening Knowledge Across Research And Entertainment), a new body supporting collaboration between the research sector and entertainment industries.

The outfit brings together research, entertainment and real-life experience, and will facilitate cross-sector collaboration to support the creation of compelling content to engage audiences with ideas that shape society.

OKRE will be headed by its founding director Iain Dodgeon, who was previously broadcast, games and film manager at Wellcome.

Building on Wellcome’s work in broadcast, games and film, OKRE offers researchers, entertainment and social impact professionals in all fields four areas of opportunity: access to a network of experts across the sectors, curated events, resources and funding.

The outfit’s partners include Wellcome, UKRI, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Unbound Philanthropy.

Advisory board members include 2018 Wellcome Screenwriting Fellow Michaela Coel and Netflix’s director of original documentary Kate Townsend, among others.

Dodgeon, director of OKRE, said: “I’m thrilled to announce the launch of OKRE, a unique hub that will facilitate collaboration between the research, entertainment and social impact sectors and help unlock the full potential of the knowledge, skills and innovations in our industries. OKRE’s goal is to fuel the development of fresh ideas in both content and research, expanding understanding of the world and creating positive change in society.

“We are building on the success of Wellcome’s work in the film, television and games industries. This includes the Screenwriting Fellowship, a wonderful opportunity to champion and nurture exceptional talent; OKRE will be announcing exciting plans for its evolution in the coming months.”