The Manchester Blog Awards were established in 2006 by Kate Feld,  in response to the growing numbers of writers, artists and photographers  in the city who use blogs to publish their work online. Since our somewhat humble beginnings in the back of the Urbis Cafe, we have grown into a respected annual survey of good online writing, and the springboard for many local writers’ careers. And we’ve been told we throw a pretty good party every October.

From the start the Manchester Literature Festival has  supported the awards as part of its Freeplay programme of events, which celebrates the intersection of writing and technology.  They recognise that good writing can flourish outside the auspices of  writing schools and publishing houses.

Manchester has been at the cutting edge of technology for a few hundred years now,  so it should come as no surprise that the city would be the first in the UK to have its own blog awards. In the past decade particularly, Manchester’s digital and creative industries sectors have grown by leaps and bounds, and alongside this the city’s online writing and social media culture has blossomed.

Manchester now has arguably the best developed,  most cohesive, and most robust blogging scene in the UK, and we continue to celebrate its triumphs and champion its talents, of which there are many.