Michaela Coel has said that she “was able to process [her] own trauma” while writing I May Destroy You, as she accepted an award for the show.

Coel won the award for outstanding writing in a comedy series at the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) ceremony for the final episode of her BBC/HBO show I May Destroy You, called Ego Death.

Despite being snubbed for the Golden Globes, Coel’s show, which is about a woman called Arabella who is trying to rebuild her life after being raped, has also taken gongs at the Royal Television Society and the Independent Spirit Awards, and is nominated for a raft of others.

Accepting her award from the NAACP, she spoke about her creative process, as well as thanking those who had been involved in the show.

She said: “A writer is only as good as those reading and questioning their work.

“It was important for me to receive opinions of black people, of queer people whilst I developed these scripts, and they provided me with that.”

“The privilege of writing in the way that I do, is that I get to spend a lot of time on my own in the middle of nowhere – the only interruption to my sense of calm, being the fears my own mind possesses.

“It was here in this silence that I was able to process my own trauma, in a way that helps me grow. It was here, I was able to both loosen and tighten the sense of myself as a woman, as a black woman and as a child of working-class immigrants.

“I really hope that more black writers get this silence to think, sit and give ourselves feedback.”

Subscribe to the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

As well as winning the award for outstanding writing in a comedy series, she was also nominated in two other categories.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrate the achievements of people of colour in the media, with people such as Barack Obama being given awards in the past.

Related posts:

‘It’s a girl!’ Harry and Meghan reveal happy news and speak of ‘fairytale’ life in US Ofcom probe after 41,000 complain about Piers Morgan remarks on Harry and Meghan Student becomes youngest ever Mastermind winner at 24 – thanks to perfect specialist score Chadwick Boseman’s brother ‘defends Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar win’ after ‘snub’ backlash Oscar-winner Kaluuya ‘had magnetic presence from the start’ The one where Chinese viewers saw a redacted version of the Friends reunion Rodrigo is youngest to top UK album and singles charts at the same time Beanie Feldstein seen as Monica Lewinsky in new teaser for Impeachment: American Crime Story ‘My dad would be so proud’: Kim Kardashian passes first law exam at fourth attempt Search warrant issued for Alec Baldwin’s phone, according to Santa Fe court Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe to play ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in new biopic Britney Spears’ father spied on her using secret listening device, ex-FBI agent claims