Carol Clerk, the first outstanding music journalist from Northern Ireland, is to be honoured by a new bursary that will support upcoming journalists.
Carol, from Belfast, wrote her first story for Melody Maker in 1974 when she was still at school (‘Bombs, Boredom and No Bands’).
Eventually, she became News Editor of Melody Maker and wrote respected books on The Pogues, The Damned, Madonna and Ozzy Osbourne.
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She won the PPA Journalist of the Year award for her coverage of Live Aid in 1985.
Carol died of cancer in 2010, aged 55 and 'The Carol Clerk Bursary' is being launched with the blessing of her daughter Eve to carry on her mother's legacy and inspire the next generation of talent from Northern Ireland.
The Carol Clerk Bursary will provide £3,500 towards professional equipment and resources for an upcoming music journalist (female or non-binary with a connection to Northern Ireland). There will be additional mentoring, feedback and training, with paid, printed commissions.
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This initiative has been developed by Dig With It magazine, in partnership with the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast’s dedicated music hub.
Stuart Bailie from Dig With It magazine said: "Carol Clerk was a great journalist and a wonderful, kind-hearted person.
"I met her often during my time as a music writer in London and she was always encouraging and lit up by her work. It will be an honour to help celebrate Carol’s work by supporting a new generation of writing talent."
The contenders must be a resident of Northern Ireland or have been born there. They will be asked to submit two pieces of music journalism for consideration.
The bursary will be awarded by a panel of working music journalists, some of them former colleagues of Carol.
Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre, added: "We are delighted to be launching this important bursary in partnership with Dig With It.
"It is a crucial element of our work to support people with ambitions of working in music through development and mentoring but also to help seek out opportunities, find pathways and signpost them in directions like this.
"To get behind the development of an emerging music writer is exciting and in Carol Clerk’s name it is an honour."
The Carol Clerk Bursary was launched as part of the Women's Work Festival in Belfast.
For more information, see here.
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