I write, how can I get involved with Spread the Word?
We love writers! If you’re looking to develop your writing, check out our workshops and events.
If you’re looking for career advice, our London Writers Network events are for you – they’re free for members (we have more info on the London Writers Network below).
We run regular opportunities for writers alongside our projects and prizes.
What’s the London Writers Network?
The London Writers Network is Spread the Word’s membership scheme. Members of the London Writers Network get 10% off standard prices of Spread the Word’s workshops and events, special offers from our friends and partners, quarterly London Writers Network Lowdown newsletters and a free space at two specially curated London Writers Network events a year for £25 a year.
I’m not a member, but I want to attend a London Writers Network event, can I do this?
Of course! Non-members can pay a small fee to attend London Writers Network events.
I’d love to send you my work. Can you read it and give me feedback?
We’re a small team and we can’t read writing to provide feedback outside of opportunities where this is an explicit offer and is accessible via application. We run Free Reads with The Literary Consultancy, which offers low-income talented London writers an editorial review of their work.
We also offer bespoke 1-2-1 sessions with our Writer Development Manager, Eva Lewin – the dates are posted on our workshops and events page.
We often run regular opportunities with agents and publishers who offer to give feedback to writers by application.
Will you give me funding?
Because we are a small team we are unable to support any unsolicited requests for funding. Our London Writers Network events and newsletter are great resources to find out about funding opportunities open to writers. We’re currently trialling workshops for writers who are applying for Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice funding – details on this can be found on our news and opportunities page.
I’ve written a book – can you review it?
Congratulations! That’s brilliant news. We currently don’t review books – we just don’t have the capacity to do so, but this might change in the future.
I’ve booked to attend one of your workshops / events, but now I can’t make it. Can I get a refund?
Sorry to hear that you can no longer make the event that you’ve booked in for. Spread the Word has a non-refund policy, which is listed in our Terms and Conditions and applies to all bookings made. We are only able to offer refunds in exceptional circumstances and when someone else can purchase your ticket – usually when events are sold out and there is a waiting list.
Do you offer concessionary tickets for your workshops and events?
We do! To find out more about our concessions policy – please visit: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/spread-word-concessions-policy/
I’m a writer on a low-income, and everything looks so expensive!
We try to make our events and workshops as affordable as possible, and many of our events are free to attend. We always pay our facilitators and tutors for their work. We offer concessionary tickets (see above) for our workshops and events where there is a fee attached.
I’m a writer with a disability, how accessible are Spread the Word’s events and workshops?
Access is really important to us – all of our workshops and events take place in wheelchair-friendly venues, many of our events are BSL-interpreted. We support other requests for applying for our programmes or entering our Prizes to the best of our available resources. We also run CRIPtic x Spread the Word Writers’ Salons for d/Deaf and disabled writers, and other bespoke opportunities for writers with disabilities.
We have an Access newsletter which is specifically for writers with disabilities and long-term health conditions. In this newsletter we give advanced booking options for our programme of events and workshops, and share opportunities that might interest our writers.
If you have specific requirements or needs, let us know what they are by contacting us and we’ll do our best to meet them.
I’m doing something very exciting – will you promote my event / opportunity / workshop / project?
We try to promote as many opportunities that will benefit writers in London in line with our mission, vision and values as possible via our social media channels and newsletter. Get in touch with our Communications Manager Laura Kenwright if you have something you’d like us to consider promoting ([email protected]).
I’d be really interested in working for Spread the Word, how can I get involved?
Check out our Work With Us page, where we list any upcoming vacancies.
We currently have a volunteer database – if you’d like to be on it, then email our Communications Manager, Laura Kenwright for more information ([email protected]).
Well, you definitely do great stuff – but why is the majority of your work only for writers in London?
Spread the Word is funded by Arts Council England to support writers in London.
There are writer development organisations similar to Spread the Word working across the UK. You may want to see what they can offer you:
New Writing South
New Writing North
Writing West Midlands
Writing East Midlands
Literature Works
Literature Wales
Scottish BookTrust
Irish Writers Centre
The Literary Consultancy offer Free Reads to writers across England: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/editorial/ace-free-reads-scheme/
You may also be interested to know that our online courses are open to writers wherever they are and that our Life Writing Prize is for writers across the UK.
I want to know more, more, more – how do I find out about your latest opportunities?
Signing up to our free monthly newsletter is the best way to find out what we’re up to. You can do that at the bottom of every page on our website by using the ‘Stay in Touch’ option and here.
You can also follow us on our social media channels where we share everything we’re up to as well as sharing great stuff from our partners and friends:
Twitter – @STWevents
Facebook – facebook.com/spreadthewordwriters
Instagram – instagram.com/spreadthewordwriters
I like the work you’re doing and would like to partner with you, how do I do this?
Fantastic! We love hearing from potential partners or individuals with great ideas. Please head to Partner with Us where you will see examples of current and previous partnerships, how we suggest you contact us and the next steps.
I have a question that’s not listed here, how can I get in touch?
Send your queries to [email protected], and a member of our team will reply to you within 5 working days. If your enquiry is more time-pressing then give us a call on 020 8692 0231 (ext 249). We are not in the office every day but we will call you back as soon as we are able.