The Observer Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism is a writing competition designed to support and inspire emerging journalistic talent. The prize honours the legacy of Anthony Burgess, who spent 30 years as an arts writer for The Observer, a contribution recognised when he was named Critic of the Year at the British Press Awards.
At a ceremony held at the Art Workers’ Guild in Bloomsbury, London, on 13 May, Julia Clayton was announced as one of two runners-up. She received a £500 prize for her review of The Atkinson’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition.
Julia said: “I definitely owe a vote of thanks to The Atkinson staff who answered my questions about visitors’ reactions to the exhibition, and to Anna Maddison for sharing the fascinating detail that the original opening exhibition was entirely dependent on loans, as The Atkinson didn’t yet own any art.”
The judges for 2026 were Anna Leszkiewicz, the arts editor of the Observer, Andrew Biswell, director of the Anthony Burgess Foundation, and Susannah Clapp, the Observer’s theatre critic.
Read Julia’s review online here: observer.co.uk