Watch the Nature Nurtures Short Films created by young people who took part on the project:
Nature Nurtures is a two-year project led by London Wildlife Trust in partnership with us at Spread the Word, Black Girls Hike CIC and London Youth. Since summer 2022, the project has offered lots of free creative and conservation opportunities for young people aged 16 – 25 in London, led by leading & award-winning writers and artists. As part of the project, young people worked with filmmaker Mmloki Chrystie to create short film poems across different natural spaces and reserves in London, featuring some of their writing. Young people were also invited to contribute writing, photography and other creative expressions inspired by their experiences in nature and the wildlife of London to the 2024 Nature Nurtures anthology.
Closing this chapter of the Nature Nurtures project, the film poems and anthology celebrate the voices of creative young people in London and shines a dazzling light on their perspectives on the natural world. We hope you enjoy them.
Nature Nurtures is supported by funds awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, via the Volunteering Futures Fund distributed by Arts Council England.
Image (C) Eleanor Church.
Published: Monday 25 March 2024
class="post-64664 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news tag-121-feedback tag-announcement"Announcing the Winners of the LBA Literary Agency Feedback Opportunity 2024In September 2023, we launched a submission feedback opportunity with LBA Literary Agency, which represents a range of bestselling and prizewinning authors of commercial and literary fiction, non-fiction and children’s fiction, to support talented new voices in romance fiction from writers from backgrounds underrepresented in publishing.
We were thrilled to receive a variety of wonderful submissions for this feedback opportunity. We are pleased to announce that the winners are: Alice Sanders, Katty Janneh, Lauryn Mwale, Reema Kausar Majid, and Sheila Padre who received feedback critique from literary agent Hannah Schofield on their projects.
Hannah says: “I’ve been an admirer of the work of Spread the Word for years, and as a Lewisham resident myself I feel passionate about local outreach, so I was delighted to be given the opportunity to partner with StW on our romance session and submission call-out. The team were wonderful in facilitating all the events, and having worked more closely with them, I am even more impressed with their commitment to widening access to publishing to people from all walks of life.
My client Anam Iqbal and I were able to demystify the submission process to agents and editors in our live session, and we both so enjoyed the questions and insights from the audience. I was also hugely impressed at the quality and diversity of the submissions we received during the call-out, which represented love stories of all types: queer, straight, historical, contemporary, tropey, and sweeping! It was truly hard to pick the finalists, but I hope that I was able to encourage the authors I spoke to in their writing journeys and empower them to keep going – the world needs their stories.”
Find out more about the selected writers and their work below…
Alice Sanders is a writer and comedy performer. Originally from London, she now lives in the Scottish Highlands where there is more nature, but, sadly, less Vietnamese food. She has written for various media outlets including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Vice. She enjoys writing humour pieces, such as ‘Dick Portraiture for Renaissance Gentlemen’, published by McSweeney’s. She also writes audio description for TV programmes and films such as ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Up’. An erstwhile member of various comedy improv teams across London, as well as writing sketches and bad poetry for the character she performs, Sebastian Frond. Sebastian Frond, however, thinks he is a very talented poet.
About Alice’s fiction project: Playing for the Other Team is a novel about, well, playing for the other team – ever thought of giving it a go? Fran has, so she joins a lesbian football team with the (not-so) secret agenda of sleeping with a woman. And finding love, of course. After her initiation into the Sapphic arts, Fran is drawn towards a romance that could blow the football team apart. She’s faced with a tough decision: will she choose the path of virtue or the path of excitement? Like a queer sliding doors, the timelines diverging from her decision, it explores sexuality, agency, and how the small choices you make add up to more than the sum of their parts.
Alice says: “The feedback from Hannah was invaluable. Having her expert eye on my manuscript without the significant costs of an editor was so helpful. She gave me several points to work on during the next edit of my book in order to improve it. She named some novels I could look at that were excellent examples of things I’m trying to do with my book. I’m grateful to have received her advice and I think my new draft has already improved because of her comments!“
Instagram and Twitter/ X: @wernerspenguin
Katty Janneh is a writer based in South East London. After spending too long ‘should-ing’ in her life, Katty started writing again just as the pandemonium kicked in. She wants to craft stories that centre women like her: older, dark-skinned women who find love later in life with her brand of humour and joy that she strives to live by.
About Katty’s project: Amina, get an Attitude is Katty’s first novel. A romance set in the present day between the UK and The Gambia. Amina is a late bloomer who experiences a horrible betrayal. As she tries to rebuild her relationship, a spanner hits the works leaving her with a dilemma. Does she continue to keep the peace by pleasing others or will she finally start pleasing herself?
Katty says: “The experience was nerve wracking but so, so valuable. It gave me a reality check on what is needed to bring Amina’s story to life. Teasing out the magic so people can feel it when they read the words. I’m excited to see how the story will end.”
Instagram: @kattyjanneh
Lauryn Mwale has always been a reader, flying through countless Nancy Drew adventures and Enid Blyton series, devouring classic literature to prove a point and learn about the history of storytelling. She has always hoped to be brave enough to write and her very kind English teachers encouraged this dream. In 2022, she published a non-fiction book, The Shuri Effect: Bridging the gap for Young Black Women in STEM. It was inspired by her experiences studying Mathematics at university, where she was often the only or , if she was lucky, one of three Black students in her classes. The book was an outlet for her feelings of frustration and anguish as well as an opportunity to platform and celebrate the Black women that came before her. Currently, she is working on her first full-length fiction novel, Low-key Losing It. The Work-in-Progress was shortlisted for the 2023 Merky Books New Writers Prize and Bloomsbury Book Mentorship as well as the LBA x Spread the Work feedback opportunity.
About Lauryn’s project: Lowkey Losing It, opens in present day London with our protagonist, Sondi, fantasising about a stranger she’s eyeing on the bus. Sondi is not one to allow life to happen to her so when he drops his phone on the seat, she accepts this gift from the universe and rushes out to return it to him, hoping that her gallantry will be the beginning of a beautiful love story. Unfortunately, the universe was merely playing with her. Caller ID alerts her that this man is, in fact, very much not available and in a panic, she dashes off, phone still clasped in hand. Clearly, going-for-it romance-wise is not the answer and so begins her #thatgirl delusional summer. Sondi will be turning her energy inwards; developing a Pilates habit, trying things outside of her comfort zone, getting a new role at work, being more creative and going back to therapy. Above all, she will be ignoring all men, especially her effortlessly charming work bestie Andre. Through therapy, tears and living life for the memoirs, will Sondi learn how to maintain healthy boundaries and welcome surprises, all while appreciating the love that already surrounds her?
Lauryn says: “Hannah was such a massive help! She was generous with her energy and insights and left me filled with ideas about positioning my book when submitting for representation. We discussed genre and comparables, the energy of my opening scene and the hacks for writing the perfect elevator pitch. I’ve already applied her advice and received some interest for representation.”
Reema Kausar Majid holds an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa and is a FAB Prize 2023 Highly Commended winner. She has been published in Amaliah under a pseudonym, is an alumna of the RCW summer workshop 2023 and is a member of Megaphone.
About Reema’s project: The Lonely Road is set in pre-partition 1940’s India and follows beautiful and headstrong Wafaa as she joins the independence movement while fending off marriage proposals. A family tragedy leads her to Ibrahim, a celebrated freedom fighter, with whom she falls in love. As colonial rule crumbles so does their marriage. Pulled apart by their opposing political visions and Wafaa’s desperation for a child, they must choose between love and loyalty.
Reema says: “The feedback I received from Hannah was invaluable in terms of industry insight and the guidance she offered on pitching effectively. From changing my novel’s title, to reducing the word count, revising the query letter and answering my questions, the whole session was incredibly useful. Having an award winning agent compliment my writing style has been a huge boost and propelled me to keep revising. Huge thanks to Spread the Word, the LBA Literary Agency and Hannah for this opportunity!”
Instagram: @reemakausar01
Sheila Padre is based in South London. She worked in digital marketing before deciding to take the plunge, do a Creative Writing MA and resume working on her first novel. She has a BA in International Relations and Politics and an MA from Cardiff University and Royal Holloway, respectively. Her literary work tends to explore emotional trauma in character-driven narratives and examine the human condition in times of turmoil. When she’s not writing, she’s re-watching Gilmore Girls, curled up with a glass of wine and her Westie, Penny.
About Sheila’s project Purple-Lipped Bookworm: Marlowe Balbuena is the most cynical, angry 25-year-old you’ll ever encounter, but grief has a way of undoing everyone. In the past, Marlowe’s adolescence in a Southwest London council estate is a playground of innocence and friendship that grows bleaker with the commonplace hyper-sexualisation of young women and loving a broken boy who can’t love her back. She grows depressed, and her coping mechanisms grow reckless. In the present, 25-year-old Marlowe has just lost her surrogate grandmother but refuses to attend the funeral. Greif-stricken, she meets Jude—a charming paramedic, at a housewarming, but she’s still harbouring severe trust issues from the last time she was in love. Still, she comes to learn the gift of art and literature as a medium of self-expression that can help ease the turmoil of depression and trauma.
Sheila says: “Hannah Schofield was absolutely lovely and provided invaluable guidance regarding what worked well and areas of improvement, not only for my writing but also for the synopsis and query letter. She answered all my questions thoughtfully and suggested where I should position my novel within the market, which sounds simple, but in the thick of writing, it is tricky to zoom out and select authors to cite as comps to better signpost your work in such a vast and varied market. The feedback reinvigorated my determination to keep writing and finish my first novel!”
Instagram: Sheila_padre
Spread the Word will open for its next 1-2-1 feedback opportunity in May 2024.
Published: 22 March 2024
class="post-64781 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-opportunities"Teach with Us: Developing Tutors ProgrammeSpread the Word is expanding its Developing Tutors programme to offer London-based writers a paid opportunity to teach their first creative writing workshop. Originally run for alumni of the London Writers Awards programme, Developing Tutors created a space for writers to develop their teaching skills with feedback and support from Spread the Word throughout the process. In 2024-25 we are looking to run up to 7 workshops starting in June 2024 with the final one in February 2025.
The programme is open to applications from London-based writers who meet the following criteria:
Aged 18+;
Full-time London resident;
Has had some creative work published, but not necessarily a full-length project;
Writing fiction or non-fiction prose;
Has not previously taught a creative writing workshop;
From one or more of these backgrounds underrepresented in UK publishing: Black, Asian and Global Majority; deaf and disabled, LGBTQIA+, from a lower socio-economic background, working class upbringing.
Tutors will be paid £250 for a two-hour creative writing workshop. This is inclusive of planning time and a follow up short evaluation. If successful, our goal is to offer further opportunities to the tutors.
How to Apply
In order to apply you will need to attend or watch a Zoom seminar run by Bobby Nayyar, Spread the Word’s programme manager, on Tuesday 16 April, 7pm-8.30pm.
The session will have BSL interpretation and will be recorded. Please sign up for it here:
Don’t worry if you cannot attend the live session. Please sign up anyway and we will send you a link to the recording. Please let us know if you have any access requirements.
Applications will open Tuesday 16 April and close on Tuesday 30 April. We aim to be in touch will all applicants by Monday 13 May. The Submittable links to apply are here:
You can apply in writing only here, or you can apply with audio or video here.
If you have any questions, please contact Bobby Nayyar on [email protected].
Published: 19 March 2024
class="post-64863 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-opportunities"We’re hiring: Programme and Communications AssistantSpread the Word, London’s literature development agency, is recruiting an entry level, part-time role: Programme and Communications Assistant.
We are an arts charity and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Founded in 1995 by novelist Bernardine Evaristo MBE and Ruth Borthwick (who went on to be Director of Arvon), we work to support, develop and advocate for London’s writers and to develop a thriving and diverse literature scene in London.
We create opportunities for storytellers, creatives and readers to change the conversations we have and reimagine the world we live in by: running inclusive creative writing programmes; offering practical ways for writers to get their work into the world; discovering Londoners who love words; and nurturing those who want to write, read and share stories.
We are looking for an enthusiastic Programme and Communications Assistant to provide vital administrative support across our programme of activity as well as working closely with the Communications and Impact Manager to support Spread the Words communications in print and online.
This multifaceted position requires excellent organisational, time management, communication, and engagement skills. We’re looking for an enthusiastic person who is keen to develop their career in the arts and deepen their passion for literature, cultural democracy and supporting London’s writers.
Job description and person specification (PDF)
Job description and person specification (Word document)
This role is based at Spread the Word’s offices at the Albany in Deptford, London. We offer hybrid working – we currently work two/ three days at the office and the rest at home.
We’re looking for an enthusiastic person who is keen to develop their career in the arts and deepen their passion for literature, cultural democracy and supporting London’s writers. You will be able to demonstrate good practice and commitment to accessibility, equality, and inclusion, as well as a passion for engaging people with words and stories
The interview panel for the Programme and Communications Assistant role is: Director Ruth Harrison and Programme Manager (writer development) Bobby Nayyar.
Both the first and second interviews will take place in person at Spread the Word’s office at the Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG. Travel expenses will be paid and reasonable adjustments will be made for applicants invited to interview.
Key Dates:
Please apply by completing the questions in the online application form and attaching the following items:
We particularly welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented in the literature and publishing industries. If you rarely see people like yourself in the arts, for any reason, we particularly encourage you to apply.
Apply for the role using our online application form.
Please note: You can preview the form and see all questions by following the link. Please only fill the form in once you have everything ready as it is not possible to save a draft and come back to it later.
The deadline for applications is 10am on Wednesday 24 April. Please note that late applications will not be considered.
If you are experiencing any issues with your application, please contact Ruth Harrison: [email protected]
class="post-64873 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-creative-writing"Scar Tissue by Danne Jobin
Danne Jobin’s pamphlet was shortlisted in the Best Unpublished Pamphlet category for the Disabled Poets Prize 2024.
The winners were announced during the 2024 Deptford Literature Festival, at an online event.
© Danne Jobin 2024
Forgive me, mum
for the nights
I sprout hair
and howl at the moon
I use as a mirror,
voice echoing hoarser
and thicker each time.
doesn’t this wild streak
run in my blood?
the shapeshift dew
I rub into my thighs
has me thirst
for something other–
yet I am not the first to stray.
hear me speak
this newfangled tongue:
a disturbance of air
as I tilt my head upward,
dizzy under the tense
weight of the stars
class="post-64443 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news"2024 Disabled Poets Prize winners announced
The Disabled Poets Prize, looks to find the best work created by UK based deaf and disabled poets, in written English and in British Sign Language. The 2024 winners of the Prize were announced on Saturday 16 March at an event broadcast as part of the Deptford Literature Festival programme.
Best Unpublished Pamphlet 2024 was awarded to Susie Wilson for Nowhere Near As Safe As A Snake In Bed. Second place goes to Anna Starkey for All These Frequencies, and third place to Amber Horne for So She Spoke. Exit Amours by Ozge Gozturk, Learning in Nine Keys by Norman Miller and Scar Tissue by Danne Jobin were all highly commended by the judges.
Susie Wilson said:
“Thank you so much to Pascale Petit and Jamie Hale for selecting my sequence of melanoma poems to win the unpublished pamphlet prize. It is fantastic to know that they will get their day in the sun. Living as I do with Stage 4 melanoma, ‘getting published’ was my single bucket item and I’m delighted that I’m gonna need a bigger bucket. Thank you also to the team at Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, who take such brilliant care of me, so that I’m still here and able to write, however hard things are. Thank you to my wife, family, friends and poetry friends for their endless support and critique. Congratulations to all the listed poets.
As an auDHD poet, it’s brilliant to be able to represent the complexity of what we are capable of (in my case perhaps often left-field/surreal image links and sound/language patterning characteristic of my auDHD) whilst at the same time having the helping hand which this prize brings to get to market and develop further. The Disabled Poet Prize last year made me realise that it’s no good waiting to feel better, or be ok, or get on top of things. It made me see that it’s possible to get on with writing with hope and verve. I hope to see what we can do to keep spreading the word about this brilliant prize over the next year.
Otherwise, watch this space for more related work about the mouse/sun/poetry god Apollo and the nature of time… including in animation and drawn form.”
The award for Best Single Poem 2024 goes to Gayathiri Kamalakanthan for Eating An Orange. In second place is Rachel Burns and her poem Blue Monday. Third place goes to Alex Mepham for Dark Matter. Could this be how to love by Elizabeth Gibson, Ward 9 by Vera Yuen, and A Horse Walks into a Bar – After Tyrone Lewis by Dee Dickens were all highly commended by the judges.
Gayathiri Kamalakanthan said:
“It’s meaningful that this Prize exists – it makes me feel like I’m a writer, even when writing is painful and slow. I can’t type for very long so I often record myself speaking bits and pieces that could become poems. This poem thinks about the admin and scheduling of grief, which for me mirrors some of the admin and scheduling around long term physical pain.”
The prize for first place is £500, second place wins £250, and third place wins £100. The highly commended entries will each be awarded £50. The Prize offers significant professional development opportunities for the winning writers, including a publication deal with Verve Poetry Press for the best unpublished pamphlet, as well as development prizes from The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation.
Sahera Khan’s poem My Eyes was highly commended by the judges in the category Best Poem Performed in BSL.
Sahera Kahn said:
“That is amazing news. I honour my BSL poem My Eyes selected for special commendation. I feel this poem is important to me in expressing my deafness to share the world to understand how I grew up. I look forward to working with CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word to develop my poem My Eyes and perform.”
Sahera will receive £300 as well as a one-to-one with an editor at The Literary Consultancy and a free membership to their Being a Writer community platform. She also receives an online masterclass by Arvon, and an online professional development session with CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word.
The 2024 Disabled Poets Prize was judged by Pascale Petit, Stephen Lightbown, Kabir Kapoor – the British Deaf Association’s UK BSL Poet Laureate – and Jamie Hale.
Deaf and disabled poets face significant barriers to developing their careers. The Disabled Poets Prize brings the work of the winning writers to new prominence, focusing attention on the exceptional work being produced by deaf and disabled writers. It is the first poetry prize in the UK specifically for deaf and disabled poets.
The Disabled Poets Prize is a collaboration between CRIPtic Arts, Spread the Word and Verve Poetry Press. The Prize is actively seeking donations and conversations with people and organisations who are interested in supporting deaf and disabled poets, and would like to contribute to the Prize’s growth.
Barbara Hayes, Chief Executive, ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society), said:
“At ALCS, we know that writers provide invaluable contributions to society. Writers help us make sense of the world, and it’s vitally important that authors reflect the diverse range of life experiences found in society. That’s why we’re proud to support the Disabled Poets Prize 2024 and the platform it provides to emerging deaf and disabled poets across the country. A huge congratulations to the shortlisted writers and winners.”
Stuart Bartholomew, Verve Poetry Press, said:
“We at VERVE Poetry are thrilled to continue to be involved with this vitally important poetry prize – the only one of its kind in the UK. The quality of the entrants has been wonderfully high, and we are over the moon to be publishing the winning pamphlet, Nowhere Near As A Snake in Bed by Susie Wilson. We look forward to the continued success of the Disabled Poets Prize.”
Ruth Harrison, Director, Spread the Word, said:
“It remains critical that spaces are created and sustained to profile and celebrate the fantastic work being made by deaf and disabled poets across the UK. We are delighted to be supporting the development of the winning, shortlisted and longlisted poets, helping them to build their careers and get their work out to readers and audiences.”
The Disabled Poets Prize was founded in 2023 by Jamie Hale in collaboration with Spread the Word, Verve Poetry Press, and CRIPtic Arts. The 2024 Prize is funded by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by The Literary Consultancy and Arvon Foundation.
The 2025 Disabled Poets Prize, sponsored by ALCS, will open for entries later this year