Spread the Word is London’s literature development organisation. Our mission is to help London’s underrepresented writers get their work into the world and connect communities to words and stories.
Spread the Word are looking for a PR consultant to lead on press for our 30th Anniversary.
We’re anticipating 12 days of work spread across October and November. The chosen consultant would need to be available to attend an event afternoon/evening Wednesday 26 November in Brixton.
We are looking for a PR Consultant with:
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A proven track record of securing high-level coverage in broadsheet, national and local press.
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Experience in the arts and non-profit sectors, experience in literature/publishing would be a bonus.
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A passion for our mission to help London’s underrepresented writers get their work into the world and connect communities to words and stories.
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A desire to work collaboratively with a small team.
The deadline to apply is 12pm on Monday 29 September 2025. We will interview on Thursday 2 October and have made a decision by Friday 3 October, with the consultant starting soon afterwards.
If you are interested, please get in touch with Alice, our interim head of communications, via [email protected] to request the brief before midday on Thursday 25 September 2025.
Published: 9 Sep 2025
class="post-76677 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-london-writers-awards category-news"Announcing the London Writers Awards Judges 2026
Spread the Word is excited to reveal the judges for the London Writers Awards 2026. The sixth year of the highly successful writer development programme will run from February 2026 to November 2026 for 24 writers of commercial, literary, and YA/Children’s fiction. Applications are open from 23 September to 30 October 2025. Spread the Word’s Ruth Harrison is running a free online seminar on 30 September at 7pm for potential applicants.
The 2025 Awards will be judged by author judges: Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, Ashani Lewis, Tom Newlands and Alexandra Sheppard. The industry judges are: Kerry-Ann Bentley (KAB Literary), Juliet Pickering (Blake Friedmann), Liv Maidment (Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency) and Christabel McKinley (DHA).
Commercial Fiction Judges
Tasneem Abdur-Rashid is a British Bengali author from London, and the writer of three adult novels and one YA novel. She has worked in media, PR, and communications for over 15 years across the UK and the Middle East and holds both a BA and an MA in Creative Writing. Her debut rom-com, Finding Mr Perfectly Fine, was published by Bonnier/Zaffre in July 2022 as part of a two-book deal. Her third novel, The Thirty Before Thirty List, was longlisted for the 2024 Jhalak Prize for Fiction. In 2025, Tasneem published her debut YA novel Odd Girl Out with David Fickling Books, which has been longlisted for the Warwickshire Teen Book Awards.
Tasneem says:
“The London Writers Awards is a vital and transformative programme that provides talented writers from underrepresented backgrounds with the space, support and structure to develop their voices and stories. As someone who writes commercial fiction rooted in identity, culture and lived experience, I know how hard it can be to break into an industry that hasn’t always felt built for us. That’s why I’m so proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative – one that opens doors, nurtures talent and is actively working to change the face of publishing from the inside out.”
Kerry-Ann Bentley is Jamaican-born and has lived in the Caribbean, the UK and the U.S. and this transatlantic experience is reflected in the writers she loves to read. Bentley graduated with a First-class degree in English & United States Literature from the University of Essex. Then, she earned her master’s with Distinction in Caribbean Literature and its Diasporas from Goldsmiths, University of London. She got her start in agenting as an intern at Janklow & Nesbit Associates and joined the agency full time in 2020, working across the New York and London offices. Kerry-Ann has worked closely with incredible writers such as Maggie Nelson, Olivia Laing, Kiese Laymon, Eileen Myles, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Plum Sykes, Mason Coile, and others. She founded KABL in 2025 to represent exceptional writing talent from around the world and to advocate for writers traditionally overlooked in publishing.
Kerry-Ann says: “I’ve always been a fan of the way the London Writers Awards has committed themselves to finding fresh and exciting literary talent. Spread the Word is such an important organisation for its mission in making publishing accessible to those who have been traditionally excluded from the mainstream literary landscape. I’m delighted to be a part of the programme that aligns with so many of my agency’s core values. The London Writers Awards is a fantastic opportunity for emerging writers and has a track-record of placing budding literary talent on the trajectory to publication and launching successful careers. I can’t wait to engage with this year’s cohort.”
Literary Fiction Judges
Ashani Lewis is a novelist and short story writer. She was a winner of the London Writers Awards 2021 in the literary fiction category. She was a recipient of the 2025 Somerset Maugham Award for her debut novel, Winter Animals, which was also the winner of the 2025 Betty Trask Prize. Her short story collection, Everest, was shortlisted for the 2025 Jhalak Prize. Both books were listed in Marie Claire’s ‘Best Books Of 2024’.
Ashani says: “The London Writers Awards scheme is one of the most authentically mission-driven initiatives I’ve ever engaged with. It demystifies a process which can sometimes seem deliberately, exclusively confusing. But it doesn’t just explain, or clarify the process: it actually organises concrete opportunities for participants on the route to publication. The team at Spread The Word go above and beyond to provide support at every stage of the programme, and the feedback groups offer access to peer review from talented writers at similar stages in their careers – to this day, conversations with the writers from my feedback group influence the books I read and the way I think about the industry. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read the submissions of a whole new cohort!”
Tom Newlands is a neurodivergent writer from Scotland. His acclaimed debut novel Only Here, Only Now won the McKitterick Prize, was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and was awarded runner-up for the ADCI Literary Prize. He is also the winner of a London Writers Award and a Creative Future Writers’ Award.
Tom says: “When I entered the London Writer’s Award program in 2021 I had been writing seriously for a little over a year. I was clueless about publishing, had little idea how to finish the novel I was working on, and lacked confidence in myself as a writer. My time on the London Writer’s Award was transformative in each of these respects, giving me the tools needed to finish my manuscript, secure an agent, navigate the industry and look forward to a career as a writer. The London Writer’s Award now has a proven track record of supporting and nurturing talent, building communities of writers, and providing a pathway to publication. I can’t wait to meet the writers that the next cohort will uncover, and to read the work they have produced. It is more important than ever that marginalised voices are heard.”
Juliet Pickering is an agent and director at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, where she represents a wide-ranging list of fiction and non-fiction. She is most drawn to stories focussing on our experiences of love, family and friendship, and books that challenge inequality or hold an important conversation. Her authors include Diane Abbott MP, Kasim Ali, Graeme Armstrong, Bolu Babalola, Kerry Hudson and Sue Moorcroft. Juliet is also on the board of the Working Class Writers’ Festival.
Juliet says: “The London Writers Awards always throws a light on exciting, intriguing writing and a host of authors with real dynamism. I’m delighted to be joining the judges this year and can’t wait to see what the entries bring us. It’s an award that is vital to the industry at a time when we struggle to reach the writers we most want to include in our publishing, and I’m deeply grateful for the varied and incredible talent it’s brought to us and to readers so far.”
Liv Maidment is Head of Books and a Literary Agent at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV, & Film Agency where she represents literary, upmarket, and book club fiction. Her client list includes bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning novelists.
Liv says: “I’m thrilled to be a judge for the 2026 London Writers Awards. What the London Writers Awards champions—equity, accessibility, and the nurturing of talented writers from under‑represented communities—is essential to the future of publishing in the city and beyond, as seen in the incredible success of their past cohorts. It’s inspiring to be part of an initiative that not only spotlights and develops gifted emerging writers but gives them the connections and confidence to thrive.”
YA/Children’s Fiction Judges
Alexandra Sheppard is a YA and MG author from London. Her debut YA novel Oh My Gods is featured in Buzzfeed, Refinery29 and The Guardian’s Summer Reading List. It was also shortlisted for the Bristol Teen Book Award 2019. Her second YA novel Friendship Never Ends was longlisted for The Jhalak Prize 2024 and shortlisted for The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2024. Her debut MG novel Alyssa & The Spell Garden was released to critical acclaim and longlisted for The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award 2025. She lives in Islington with her family.
Alexandra says: “The London Writers Awards has a stunning track record of honing and developing new voices from underrepresented backgrounds – this year, that mission seems more urgent than ever. It feels as though the gains we made in diversity and inclusion over the last few years are being rolled back as quickly as they appeared, and it’s initiatives like this that are fighting back. I am unbelievably honoured to be a judge on this year’s panel, and to play a small role in bringing much-needed representation to the publishing space.”
Christabel McKinley is a literary agent at David Higham Associates, where she has worked since 2018. Prior to this, she worked in translation rights at a publisher, at a scouting agency, and as an ESL teacher in Seoul. Her focus as an agent is on books for young readers, including graphic novels and non-fiction alongside fiction. She takes an international approach to publishing, with clients based around the world and sold widely in translation. Her eye is always drawn to a story that hasn’t been told before, as well as an authentic voice that speaks directly to young people. Last year she was a Bookseller Rising Star.
Christabel says: “I am honoured to be taking part in The London Writers Awards, an invaluable scheme that has already lead to over 62 book deals and, as a result, an instantly more representative publishing landscape. I admire particularly the scheme’s dedication to long-term support for writers, with a focus on supporting the manuscript’s development over several months – something I know from experience makes all the difference to both a writer’s confidence and a story’s completion. I look forward to being a part of this journey and discovering all the new worlds waiting to be shared.”
Applications will be open from midday on Tuesday 23 September and close at 5pm on Thursday 30 October. The London Writers Awards application pack, which includes Eligibility Criteria, Terms & Conditions and FAQs will be available online from 22 September 2025 in text, audio and inclusive read formats. Click here for updates.
Published: 9 September 2025
class="post-76693 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-london-writers-awards category-news"London Writers Awards to reopen for applications for sixth year
Spread the Word is proud to announce its flagship writer development programme, The London Writers Awards, is returning for its sixth year. Supported through a philanthropic donation by Sam and Rosie Berwick, the programme aims to increase the number of writers from underrepresented communities being agented and published. It will be open to writers of literary, commercial and YA/children’s fiction with the programme funded for 2026 and 2027.
Originally launched in 2018, the London Writers Awards has become the most successful writer development scheme in the UK – supporting 144 writers since 2018, with 62 book deals and 50 writers agented. It has launched the creative careers of Natasha Brown, Cecile Pin, Tice Cin, Tom Newlands, Oisín McKenna, Ashani Lewis and Santanu Bhattacharya amongst others.
Each year the London Writers Awards supports 24 writers through a ten-month programme of masterclasses, industry days, one-on-one support and critical feedback groups. Built into the programme are active conversations about what it means to be a writer from an underrepresented community entering an industry that remains predominantly white, heteronormative and middle class.
The Awards aim to actively increase the number of writers on a low income progressing their creative careers through providing an enhanced bursary and access fund offer and remaining free to participate in. The programme provides holistic and on-going creative and career support and community building for writers through its alumni network and is launching a quarterly Writers and Readers Salon sponsored by ALCS at Burley Fisher Books on Thursday 18 September with Oisín McKenna, Tom Newlands, Alexandra Sheppard and Tasneem Abdur-Rashid.
Ruth Harrison, Director of Spread the Word says: “We are delighted to be opening the London Writers Awards for the sixth year and announcing our author and publishing industry judges. In a time of uncertainty and a continued moving away from supporting diverse voices and stories, it is critical that we remain committed to, and invest in, the support early stage writers from underrepresented communities need to thrive and build their careers. The London Writers Awards has an unmatched track record in responding to this need; discovering new voices and providing the spaces, support and networks for writers to develop their work and get it out into the world.”
Juliet Pickering, Agent at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency and London Writers Awards Judge says: “The London Writers Awards always throw a light on exciting, intriguing writing and a host of authors with real dynamism. I’m delighted to be joining the judges this year and can’t wait to see what the entries bring us. It’s an award that is vital to the industry at a time when we struggle to reach the writers we most want to include in our publishing, and I’m deeply grateful for the varied and incredible talent it’s brought to us and to readers so far.”
Sam Berwick, programme donor says: “Rosie and I are very pleased to be able to continue supporting Spread the Word and the London Writers Awards for another year. We have been thrilled to hear from the writers how much the programme has meant to them over the last twelve months and we believe passionately that contributing to the arts is investing in all that is incredible and original in being human. At a time when so much threatens to narrow and diminish our collective vision, Spread the Word and the writers it supports and nourishes, does the opposite. We hope our support can encourage others to step forward, ensuring that writers of talent and imagination have the platform they deserve.”
Applications will open on Tuesday 23 September at midday and close on Thursday 30 October at 5pm.
The 2026 Awards will be judged by author judges: Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, Ashani Lewis, Tom Newlands and Alexandra Sheppard. The industry judges are: Kerry-Ann Bentley (KAB Literary), Juliet Pickering (Blake Friedmann), Liv Maidment (Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency) and Christabel McKinley (DHA). Click here for more details on the judges.
The London Writers Awards application pack, which includes Eligibility Criteria, Terms & Conditions and FAQs will be available online from 22 September 2024 in text, audio and inclusive read formats. Visit the London Writers Awards project page for more details.
A free online information session will be run on Tuesday 30 September, 7pm-8.15pm, for people considering applying for the London Writers Awards. The session will be BSL interpreted. Click here to register for the seminar.
Published: 9 September 2025
class="post-76497 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news"Announcing the New Developing Tutors for 2025/26
Following an open call which received 30 applications, we are delighted to announce the 8 selected writers for the Developing Tutors programme. The programme supports writers looking to run their first creative writing workshop with a paid teaching opportunity and enhanced support and feedback throughout the process. Spread the Word will be running the workshops from October 2025 to March 2026. The selected tutors, their workshops and date they will run are:
Naomi Eselojor
Creating Africanfuturist worlds: Blending Tradition, Innovation and Imagination
Tuesday 7 October 2025, 6.30pm-8.30pm (Online)
Alan Gray
Vacant Possession: Creating a Haunted World Without any Ghosts
Tuesday 28 October, 6.30pm to 8.30pm (In person)
Thảo Tô
Sit in It, Sit with It: Setting as a Character in Your Writing
Tuesday 4 November 2025, 6.30pm-8.30pm (Online)
Saskia Marisha Fischer
Writing the more-than-human
Tuesday 2 December 2025, 6.30pm-8.30pm (In person)
Liane Wimhurst
First Lines
Tuesday 20 January 2026, 6.30Ppm-8.30pm (In person)
Dominique Duong
How to Write for Comics
Tuesday 3 February 2026, 6.30pm-8.30pm (Online)
Kingsley Pearson
Processing Queer Shame in Fiction: Writing Steps Towards Queer Joy
Tuesday 24 February 2026, 6.30pm-8.30pm (Online)
Yasmine Dankwah
Writer’s Toolkit: Using Sound, Music and Graphic Scores to Create Your Own Structure
Tuesday 18 March 2026, 6.30pm-8.30pm (Online)
Words from Bobby Nayyar, Programme Manager:
‘It’s our second year of running an open call for Developing Tutors workshops. I’ve been impressed by the range of ideas on offer, which ultimately made the selection process incredibly competitive. We have chosen a range of workshops that push boundaries and explore new avenues for creative work and teaching styles. We look forward to working closely with each tutor.’
Tickets for ALL workshops will be available to purchase from Wednesday 27th August.
Published: 21 Aug 2025
class="post-76424 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news"London Writers Awards participant Swithun Cooper shortlisted for Desperate Literature Prize
Swithun Cooper is one the 2025 London Writers Awards cohort. He’s been named one of two runners up for the 2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize, run by the Desperate Literature bookshop in Madrid, Spain. This years prize was won by Shastri Akella, and Alisha Dietzman was also a runner up.
Swithun Cooper is a researcher and tutor. His poems and stories have appeared in The London Magazine, Magma and The Rialto, and anthologies including Queer Life, Queer Love 2 and Unreal Sex. He has won an Eric Gregory Award, and in 2023 he was shortlisted for FBA New Voices. He joined the 2025 London Writers Awards programme in February this year. The programme runs until November.
Swithun’s story Expansion Street earned him his place as runner up. He’ll receive €1,000 (£866) and a consultation with a literary agent from Johnson & Alcock. All 11 shortlisted writers will be published by Desperate Literature in their annual collection, Eleven Stories 2025, and will be invited to read at a number of events, the first of which will be a launch event at the Desperate Literature bookshop, followed by a launch at Burley Fisher Books in London in the spring of 2026.
Another of this years London Writers Awardees, Sukie Wilson, on the same programme as Swithun, won the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize in 2024.
Applications will open in September for the 2026 London Writers Awards. To find out when, sign up to our newsletter.
Read more about the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize on their website.
Published 14 August 2025.
class="post-76028 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news"Natasha Brown longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025
We are not at all surprised, but very pleased, to see London Writers Award alumna Natasha Brown among the longlisted authors for this year’s Booker Prize.
Natasha’s first book, Assembly, was shortlisted for the Folio Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize and the Orwell Prize for Fiction.
Universality is her second novel and a, “a twisty, slippery descent into the rhetoric of truth and power.” It received rave reviews and Observer commented that “[Universality] confirms Natasha Brown as a major talent.” They were not wrong.
The Booker Prize 2025 judges are Roddy Doyle, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Kiley Reid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Power. They commented:
“Natasha Brown’s Universality is a compact yet sweeping satire. Told through a series of shifting perspectives, it reveals the contradictions of a society shaped by entrenched systems of economic, political, and media control. Brown moves the reader with cool precision from Hannah, a struggling freelancer, through to Lenny, an established columnist, unfurling through both of them an examination of the ways language and rhetoric are bound with power structures. We were particularly impressed by the book’s ability to discomfit and entertain, qualities that mark Universality as a bold and memorable achievement.”
The Booker Prize shortlist will be announced at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday 23 September, with the winner revealed on Monday 10 November.
Read all about the Booker Prize longlist on their website.
Posted: Tuesday 29 July 2025