The London Writers Awards is Spread the Words’ flagship writer development programme. Originally launched in 2018, the London Writers Awards aims to increase the number of writers from under-represented communities being taken up by agents and publishers. It has supported 120 writers and has become the most successful writer development scheme in the UK with 50 writers agented and over 35 book deals.
In a series of blog posts we will list the writers who completed the programme and the first books that they have published. You can find out more about the other cohorts on these links: Cohort 1 – 2018, Cohort 3 – 2021, Cohort 4 – 2022.
Commercial Fiction
Alex Marshall
Denise Rawls
Elliot F. Sweeney, The Next to Die, 2023
Henry Fry, First Time for Everything, 2022
Mark Mukasa
Pam Williams, A Trace of Sun, 2024
Literary Fiction
Adam Zmith, Deep Sniff, 2021
Christina Carè
Han Smith, Portraits at the Palace of Creativity and Wrecking, 2024
Isha Karki
Liam Konemann, The Appendix, 2021
Loretta Ramkissoon
Natasha Brown, Assembly, 2021
Peter J. Coles
Ruth Goldsmith
S. Niroshini, Darling Girl, 2021
Salma Ibrahim, Salutation Road, 2025
Taranjit Mander
Narrative Non-Fiction
Ahmed Hassan
Alexis Keir, Windward Family, 2023
F Fiaz
Sue Hann, Palingenesis: Reflections on Surviving Infertility, 2025
Zad El Bacha
YA/Children’s Fiction
Ayesha Braganza, The Royal Spy, 2023
Caroline Gardiner
Davina Tijani, Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka, 2023
Michael Mann, Ghostcloud, 2021
Nadia Attia, Verge, 2023
Roi Campbell
