The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is the largest playwriting competition in Europe. Since its inception twenty years ago, it has received over 17,325 submissions, and awarded prizes to thirty-eight different plays across its various categories.

This anthology brings together five of those extraordinary winning plays in a wide-ranging selection reflecting the history and scope of the prize – and the inestimable impact it has had over the past two decades.

Pretend You Have Big Buildings by Ben Musgrave (Bruntwood Prize, 2005) is a tender and funny play about identity, loss, and growing up in Romford in the shadow of Canary Wharf.

Winterlong by Andrew Sheridan (joint winner, 2008) is a shattering, heartbreaking play about searching for hope in a damaged world.

Three Birds by Janice Okoh (Bruntwood Prize, 2011) is a darkly comic drama about three young siblings who find themselves home alone, without adult care.

Wish List by Katherine Soper (Bruntwood Prize, 2015) is a powerful exploration of what our labour is worth and how life can be lived when the system is stacked against you.

untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play by Kimber Lee (International Award, 2019) is a wickedly funny satire that wrestles with history and explodes cultural stereotypes.

Also included is an incisive essay by theatre historian Rachel Clements on the impact of the Bruntwood Prize on the theatre landscape, as well as introductions by Sarah Frankcom and each of the selected authors.