A MALPAS man who writes plays as a hobby is one of just eight people in the UK to be shortlisted for a prestigious literary award.

Tony Clare, a special projects worker for Cheshire West and Chester Council, is in the running for the 2012 Nick Darke award, which rewards writing for stage, screen and radio, for his screenplay Pins and Needles.

The accolade comes with a £6,000 prize and is named after a popular Cornish playwright who died in 2005.

In recognition of Nick Darke’s lifelong commitment to the environment, writers were asked to submit a piece of writing about the theme.

Tony’s screenplay about a downcast office worker who tries to change his life in order to have less impact on the planet, is one of just two entries from the North West of England to be shortlisted.

Tony, a 44-year-old father of four from Tilston, who has been writing on the side for the past eight years, said it was ‘a great honour’ to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award.

“I’ve always tried to write real life stuff mainly for TV and radio, getting inspiration from everywhere including work or even just snippets of conversation,” he said.

“It’s so exciting to be shortlisted for something as big as this - it’s an award that’s known all over the world so I’m hoping if I win it could be a stepping stone to a full time career as a writer.

“It will give me more confidence in my own writing. Obviously the prize money would be great financially but it would just be really flattering to have my work read by such professionals,” he added.

Tony will find out whether or not he has won on October 6 at a ceremony in Falmouth, Cornwall where the judging panel will include the drama commissioning editor for Radio 4, a BAFTA-award-winning documentary director and a theatre, TV and film director.