Wakefield-based British-Iranian playwright Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi is the 2025 recipient of the Kay Mellor Fellowship.
Jasmin follows Kat Rose-Martin and Kirsty Taylor, both from Bradford, as the third writer to receive the fellowship, established in 2019 in memory of the late, much-admired creator of many TV and theatre shows.
The fellowship, a collaboration between Leeds Playhouse, Rollem Productions, the BBC and Leeds City Council, is a platform to nurture new voices from the North.
Jasmin’s debut full-length play, Allah In the Walls, was developed through the Catalyst programme at North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford, and was shortlisted for the 2022 Bruntwood Prize.
Jasmin has also been involved with several prestigious schemes, including the BBC’s Northern Voices, Sheffield Theatres’ Bank cohort, and the Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group. In 2023, she participated in the Warner Writers' Exchange Scheme, where she wrote her first TV pilot, Joon. Her latest play, The End, was written for the Bush Theatre’s Young Company and staged last August.
During her fellowship year, Jasmin will develop stories exploring the meaning of home, delving into the thriller genre with inspiration drawn from her Yorkshire and Iranian heritage, while continuing to hone her voice as a playwright.
She said: “Kay was a real staple in my household when I was growing up and I would love to help more people feel seen through my writing, in the same way she did.
"With the support of this fellowship, I hope to challenge myself and explore how to tell the diverse personal stories I love on a larger scale."
Gaynor Mellor, creative director of Rollem Productions, said: “My mum would be so proud that we are carrying on her legacy of helping emerging writers to develop their talent. We’re really excited to be working with Jasmin. She sent in a fantastic script and is brimming with passion and ideas.”
More info about the Fellowship here