LONDON — Shereener Browne established the Windrush Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights using compensation awarded to her late father, Myron Brown. Myron Brown was a Windrush victim who died before receiving his compensation payment.

The Windrush Prize will award £10,000 to the writer of the winning play. The winning play will receive a minimum three-week run at the Arcola theatre in 2027 and will be co-produced by Arcola and Orísun Productions. Methuen Drama will publish the winning play.

Myron Brown came to Britain from St Kitts and Nevis in the 1960s. He was informed he was no longer a British citizen when he attempted to renew his passport. Browne applied to the Windrush Compensation Scheme on her father’s behalf after he developed dementia and suffered strokes. Browne is the founder and artistic director of Orísun Productions and a former barrister.

Browne reported that her father felt rejected when he could not retrieve his passport. She said that his identity was taken away from him without consultation. She stated that the experience affected his confidence and mental health. Browne explained that she did not understand the depth of his British identification until he lived with her.

After her father died, Browne was instructed to go through probate to access the compensation. Government figures indicate that more than 50 individuals died while awaiting payouts after submitting a claim to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. Browne felt the process of accessing the compensation was like pulling the scab off a wound. She told officials she felt re-traumatized by the necessity of navigating administrative processes during her grieving period for her father.

Browne stated she wanted a positive outcome from the situation. She said the prize is closely connected to the loss of her father and the declining generation of Windrush individuals. She expressed a desire for history not to erase their impact on British life. Browne noted that the Caribbean is integrated with Britain’s history and global politics. She intends the prize to highlight that there is more than one British Caribbean experience. She also plans for Orísun Productions to conduct workshops, seminars, and networking events with partner organizations to support emerging writers.

The prize is open to UK-based British Caribbean playwrights over the age of 18, including both represented and unrepresented playwrights. Submissions must be unpublished, full-length plays. Research by British Future’s Voices of Equity project found that 41% of ethnic minority young people aged 18 to 24 are aware of the Windrush story, compared to 31% of white people in the same age group. Windrush Day commemorates the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in Essex in June 1948.