Tom Newlands, Literary Fiction Judge for the 2026 London Writers Awards and author of Only Here, Only Now, gives us insight into his writing process and provides advice for applicants of this year’s London Writers Awards. Applications for the awards close at 5pm on Thursday 30 October 2025. For more information head to the London Writers Awards page.
Who or what keeps you writing?
My imagination. I have ADHD, and I am lucky – it has given me a relentless creative engine. I have too many ideas, and it is often a struggle to record and organise them.
What are some of your writing do’s?
My only writing “do” would be to find what works for you! There is a lot of advice out there, much of it passed down from wealthy, able-bodied white men who died a long time ago. The act of sitting down to write takes courage, and it takes even greater courage to do that while disregarding all the well-worn guidance that’s floating around – but that’s what you have to do. There’s only one way, and that’s your own.
And writing don’ts?
It’s obviously important to read as widely as you can, and to learn from the books you love, but don’t waste time trying to imitate other writers.
How does place and identity show up in your work?
It’s central. My stories always begin with a landscape, or a building; usually somewhere I know. I don’t think about characters until I know the place they come from, and how that landscape might have shaped them. Books just now are really overstuffed with wine bars, dog walks, people talking over coffee on anonymous streets. All that is fine, but I want my novels to be filled with people and places that are not usually found in literary fiction, and that are unforgettably vivid.
What advice would you give to emerging writers who feel their backgrounds or perspectives aren’t represented in mainstream publishing?
Being an underrepresented writer you will likely have faced barriers to having your work published, but it can be seen as a great opportunity too. Editors and agents – and above all, readers – are looking to be taken somewhere they’ve never been before, to encounter a life and a voice that is new to them. If your background hasn’t historically been seen on the bookshelves, then now is the time for you to put it there! In terms of attitudes within the publishing industry there is still a long way to go, but things are improving, and there are numerous organisations out there now that can help you towards publication.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about writing and being a writer?
Sitting down a lot is really physically demanding – seriously! Self care, including regular exercise, is so important for both the body and mind.