THE LONDON WRITERS AWARDS IS SPREAD THE WORD’S ANNUAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR TALENTED LONDON WRITERS.
Launched in 2018, the London Writers Awards aim to increase the number of writers from under-represented communities being taken up by agents and publishers. To make the step change from unpublished writers to being agented, writers need good sustained professional input and quality feedback to produce work that will be published. The London Writers Awards offer this opportunity.
The Awards focus on four genres of prose writing: literary fiction (including short stories), commercial fiction (for e.g.: crime, science fiction, romance), narrative non-fiction and YA/children’s (including middle grade and Young Adult fiction, excludes picture books).
The Awards are free to participate in. Bursaries are available for writers in need and there is an Access Fund for disabled writers.
WHO ARE THE AWARDS FOR?
The Awards is for London-based prose writers who identify as being from a background currently underrepresented in publishing. We consider these backgrounds to be:
– Disabled
– LGBTQIA+
– Working class
– Black, Asian and Global Majority
Writers are selected through a free and open application process. The programme is for writers who are committed to developing their work, their craft and their career.
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE PROGRAMME?
Awardees become part of a critical feedback group meeting twice a month. Critical feedback groups are a proven way to take writing forward, and participants will receive feedback on their work at least four times, as well as getting 1-2-1 professional development sessions.
Awardees participate in craft masterclasses run by professional, aspirational writers, and career masterclasses run by industry speakers and experts. The career masterclasses will help Awardees to build industry and business knowledge and gain practical skills.
Awardees take part in two WritersLabs. The first WritersLab is an opportunity for writers get to know their peers; ask questions about the programme; be introduced to the critical feedback model through their group facilitator; meet and hear from the Judges and about the current publishing landscape and trends.
The second WritersLab is where writers will get to network with invited editors, publishers and agents.
All Awardees receive 1-2-1 professional development sessions with members of the Spread the Word team to support their development, progress and wellbeing whilst on the programme.
All Awards activity will be fully accessible.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE WRITERS CURRENTLY ON THE LONDON WRITERS AWARDS?
The London Writers Awards 2022 writers are here.
WHERE CAN I FIND WRITERS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN ON THE LONDON WRITERS AWARDS PROGRAMME?
The 2021 London Writers Awards programme alumni can be found here. The 2018 – 2020 alumni can be found here.
CALL OUT TO THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
If you are a publisher, agent or professional writer and interested in finding out more about becoming a supporter, partner or patron to the London Writers Awards, please contact Bobby Nayyar at Spread the Word: [email protected]
The Awards are financially supported by Arts Council England, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and sponsored by the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society.
Partners are:
Independent Publishers Guild,
The Society of Authors,
RCW Literary Agency,
Jo Unwin Literary Agency,
Joffe Books,
Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.