Writers should be unpublished and unagented. We consider this to mean:
You do not currently have a literary agent representing you
You do not have an existing book contract with a publisher
You have not previously published a full-length work (i.e. a work of fiction or non-fiction over 30,000 words, or ten or more short stories published either in a collection or individually, or twenty or more poems either in a collection or published individually, or a full-length theatre script, screenplay, or radio play that has been professionally produced and/or broadcast)
Previously self-published writers can apply with a currently unpublished work.
Writers should be from underrepresented backgrounds. By this we mean meeting any of the below criteria:
Black, Asian, or Global Majority
D/deaf and Disabled
LGBTQIA+
Having had a Working Class upbringing
On a low income (i.e. writers whose income is through benefits or paid on or below the London Living Wage hourly rate, and whose savings do not exceed the amount needed to pay for three months of living costs (rent, gas and electricity, food etc.).
Care experienced
One of the three commissions will be awarded to a writer living in the borough of Lewisham.
Commission Terms and Conditions
Entries submitted should be original work and must be in English.
You should not use generative AI in producing any part of your submission.
Entrants can apply to the commission online or by post.
Writing samples must be submitted as a text document (either online or by post), typed in black.
For online entries, answers to the other application questions (e.g. writing bio) may be provided as text [.doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf] or audio [.aac, .aiff, .flac, .mp3, .m4a, .wav] format in English, or video [.mp4, .mov, .wmv] format in English.
Postal entries must be submitted as text.
Unfortunately, we cannot return entries submitted by post but we will acknowledge receipt of entry via email.
Due to the volume of entries expected Spread the Word is unable to provide feedback for any entries. We hope you understand and are sorry to not be able to provide this.
Entries can be submitted from 9am, Monday 9 September 2024. The closing date for entries is 1pm, Monday 7 October 2024.
The judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence about their decisions will be entered into. Spread the Word reserve the right to change the panel of judges without notice.
Selected writers will contracted by Spread the Word to undertake a writing commission as per the commission brief
There is no theme which the work has to respond to.
Commissioned pieces must be written for print publication.
Commissioned work must be entirely new, rather than a development of pre-existing work.
The commission development period will run from November 2024 to February 2025. The commissioned work will be launched both in print and live at the 2025 Deptford Literature Festival on Saturday 29 March 2025.
An access fund is in place to make reasonable adjustments.
Copyright of all commissioned work will remain with the author.
Spread the Word will reserve the right to publish the commissioned works on their website and/ or in print.
Commissioned writers will each receive:
£2,000 commission fee
Three sessions with a mentor
One to one development support from Spread the Word
Publication of their work in the Deptford Literature Festival magazine
A platform to showcase their work to an audience at Deptford Literature Festival and online
Commissioned writers will be expected to:
Produce a new piece of commissioned writing
Meet project deadlines, including a deadline for print publication
Showcase the commissioned work at an event as part of the 2025 Deptford Literature Festival on Saturday 29 March 2025
Take part in a panel discussion as part of the festival about your work, creative practice and the process of being commissioned
Support the promotion of the completed commissions
There may be extenuating circumstances that render the dates and timelines in this document flexible. Spread the Word reserve the right to alter these dates should it be necessary for any reason.
Spread the Word reserve the right not to award any of the stated commissions if there are insufficient submissions and/or if entries are not taken forward by the judges.
Submission of an application to this commission will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions. Entries that fail to comply with these rules may be disqualified.
If you have a question about the commissions which is not answered here or on the commission webpage, please email: [email protected]