Edson Burton has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Tinniswood Award, which is organised by WGGB and the Society of Authors to recognise the best audio drama script of the year.
Burton received the accolade for Man Friday, a 57’ drama broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (directed by Mary Ward-Lowery for BBC Audio Wales and West).
The audio drama centres on the re-imagining of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, from Man Friday’s point of view. Colonialism, economics, race relations, religion: all are considered here through the prism of the developing relationship between Man Friday – or Kofi – and the shipwrecked Crusoe.
Judges Nicola Baldwin, Lucy Gough, Christopher Douglas and Ming Ho 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.”
Edson Burton received the prize of £3,000, sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society, at the BBC Audio Drama Awards on 30 March 2025. He was presented the award by writer and actor Paterson Joseph.
The other shortlisted plays for the Tinniswood Award were Southall Uprising by Satinder Chohan, A Tale of Ossian by Robert Forrest and Orwell v Kafka: Restless Dreams by Dan Rebellato (further information here).
Listen to Man Friday here
Save Audio Drama at the BBC – campaign news
During the ceremony, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore announced plans to launch a monthly 90-minute play slot starting later in the spring on BBC Radio 4, which will focus on new dramas and original adaptations of classic stage plays. These will sit alongside the best of the recent archive. The news follows months of campaigning by WGGB and sister unions and many others in the audio drama community, following the announcement earlier this year that the broadcaster was planning to axe all audio drama from Radio 3. Read the WGGB’s response here.
ABOUT THE TINNISWOOD AWARD
THE TINNISWOOD AWARD was established by WGGB and the Society of Authors to perpetuate the memory of Peter Tinniswood (pictured left) as well as to celebrate and encourage high standards in radio drama. Find out more. We are very grateful to the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) for its generous sponsorship, including the £3,000 prize. The 2025 award is for a drama broadcast or made available online in the UK between 1 October 2023 and 31 October 2024.
Photo of Peter Tinniswood: Jeremy Young; Photo of Edson Burton: Jack Pitts