he Observer/Anthony Burgess prize 2021 is now open for entries. Launched in 2012, the award – in honour of the Burgess’s long and celebrated career with the Observer – is the UK’s leading award for arts criticism and aims to inspire the next generation of writers. Burgess had a wide range of interests, so there is no restriction in terms of the art form that can be reviewed for submission. The winning piece could be about an album, book, concert, exhibition, film, live stream, television show or anything else that offers the opportunity to write a lively and thoughtful piece. The judges define “new work” in the arts as anything that has happened since 1 September 2019. The arts world has changed beyond recognition in recent months, and we expect to see some entries focusing on the online world of lockdown culture. The first prize is £3,000 and the winning piece will be published in the print edition of the Observer New Review and online at theguardian.com. Two runners-up will also receive £500 each and have their work published online. Last year’s winners and shortlisted entries can be found here. This year’s judges include Sarah Donaldson, arts editor of the Observer, and Will Carr, deputy director of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and editor of Anthony Burgess’s The Ink Trade: Selected Journalism 1961-1993. To enter – or for further details – visit anthonyburgess.org. The closing date is 30 November 2020.