BROWN Boys Swim has been announced as the winner of the Popcorn Writing Award 2022.
Written by Karim Khan, this lyrical coming-of-age tale looks at the pressures that surround young Muslim men today.
It considers how systemic racism and societal pressures push certain people along a relentless current.
Brown Boys Swim examines how we can be prevented from being – and understanding – our most authentic selves.
This play looks deeper at the communities who are consciously and unconsciously forbidden from spaces like pools – where the strange looks and other micro-aggressions they receive are possibly a sign of something more insidious.
Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing at BBC Writersroom said: “We want to congratulate this year’s winner Karim Khan, on his subtle, nuanced, and funny play looking at the experiences of young Muslim men coming of age today.
“Huge congratulations also go to the three shortlisted finalists for their brilliant, thought-provoking work.
“We can’t wait to meet all the talented longlisted writers over the next couple of months and chat to them about their work and writing ambitions.”
Not only does the Popcorn Group award the winner a prize fund of £3,000, but also offers the three shortlisted finalists a share of a remaining £3,000.
The remaining shortlisted plays include a range of daring new writing from Pleasance, Summerhall and Traverse.
Awarded £1,500, Jenna Fincken’s one-woman thriller Ruckus is the first finalist.
Sending a shiver down your spine with its visceral sound design and exploration of coercive control, each moment of the play has been inspired by real women and real stories.
Presented by the award-winning Wildcard at Summerhall, we see how a loving relationship can sometimes be anything but, and how the side effects of coercive control kill up to three women every week in the UK.
From Plymouth Laureate of Words Laura Horton, and playing at the Pleasance, Breathless is the second finalist, and recipient of £1,000.
This funny, honest and stylish exploration of the knife-edge of hoarding asks: what happens when the things we covet hide us from ourselves?
Opening up to new experiences in her late-thirties, Sophie is exploring long repressed sides of herself.
When a secret she’s keeping from those she loves, and even from herself, threatens to unravel it all, she has to make a choice – who or what will she decide to give up?
Happy Meal is the last finalist for the award, winning £500.
At Traverse Theatre, Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb transports audiences to the quaint days of dial-up and MSN in a funny, moving and nostalgic story of transition.
From teen to adult, from MySpace to TikTok, from cis to trans, the world premiere of this “online show irl” is a joyful queer rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z and change is all around.
Popcorn Group commented: “Brown Boys Swim is a vital and moving play.
“It is the epitome of what we look for with the award – we’re overjoyed for Karim!
“The standard of work at the Fringe has been nothing short of extraordinary this year and it has been particularly hard to narrow down the longlist to 4 plays: it just shows how vital Edinburgh is for new writing and we’re delighted to play a small part in highlighting the brilliant work of Karim, Jenna, Laura and Tabby.
“They have written some wonderful pieces and we are excited to see what they do next.”
