Isley Lynn and Edson Burton win 2025 Imison and Tinniswood awards
This year's ALCS-sponsored Imison and Tinniswood Award winners were announced by actor and writer, Paterson Joseph, as part of the BBC Audio Drama Awards.
The Tinniswood Award is presented to the best original audio drama script of the year. It was established by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the Society of Authors in memory of Peter Tinniswood to celebrate and encourage high standards in radio drama.
The Imison Award is presented annually to an audio drama script by a writer new to the medium and which, in the opinion of the judges, is the best of those submitted. It is administered by the Society of Authors and was founded in memory of BBC script editor and producer Richard Imison.
2025 IMISON AWARD WINNER: TETHER BY ISLEY LYNN
Producer/Director Fay Lomas | A BBC Audio Wales production for Radio 4
The judges said: ’It was a confident piece of writing and brilliant setting for an audio drama. It was also a wonderful way to play with the act of listening and how we form images in our minds. It had excellent, sharp dialogue and we enjoyed the slow unfurling of two beautifully defensive, spiky characters. There was a lovely blend of humour and awkwardness and the interruptions in the dialogue, which added to the sense of movement and direction. It was a great use of the medium and the short sentences added to the rhythm of the piece, the way it was structured and the way it moved. Overall, it was a lovely piece of radio and a confident piece of writing.’
Isley Lynn (she/they) is a writer and poet. Their latest play is Jobsworth, co-written with Libby Rodliffe (Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe). It’s in development for television with Brock Media. Isley won a Most Promising Playwright Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2023 for THE SWELL (Orange Tree), which received a 2024 Olivier Awards nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre, and was nominated for Best New Play, Best Director and Best Production at the 2023 Offies. They are a graduate of Royal Court Young Writers Programme, the Royal Court Invitation Studio Group and Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writer’s Group.
The other shortlisted scripts for the Imison Award were The Mini-Break by Chloë Myerson, Tribe of Two By Malaika Kegode and Under Milk Woods Tywyn by Manon-Steffan-Ros.
2025 TINNISWOOD AWARD WINNER: MAN FRIDAY BY EDSON BURTON
Directed by Mary Ward-Lowery | BBC Audio Wales and West, BBC Radio 4
The judges said: ’A hugely entertaining take on the Robinson Crusoe story. Friday is an upper-class castaway outraged by Crusoe’s entitled behaviour. But we suspect there’s more to Friday than the arrogant posho we first encounter – and sure enough there is. A slow burn brilliantly achieved, this play skilfully uses the inspiration of a classic tale to reframe assumptions about race and class in a witty and engaging way. Long narrations are often the radio writer’s lazy option, but Edson Burton’s are exquisite. This is a terrific writer with a deep love of language and a thorough understanding of structure.’
Dr Edson Burton is a poet, drama writer, curator and historian. He has been writing radio drama since 2007. His work encompasses urban realism, period drama, horror and the supernatural. His many credits for BBC Radio 4 include the Deacon trilogy,starring Don Warrington, now available on Audible.
Learn more about the Tinniswood Award and Imison Award.
