Join us for an exclusive evening of readings and discussion to celebrate the return of the London Writers Awards and Spread the Word’s 30th Anniversary.
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The London Writers Awards is the leading writer development programme in the UK having helped to launch the careers of over 50 writers. In advance of the programme re-opening for applications, we’ll be hosting an event at Burley Fisher Books in east London with past and present judges: Alexandra Sheppard (author of Alyssa and the Enchanted Forest), Oisín Mckenna (author of Evenings and Weekends), Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, (author of Odd Girl Out), and Tom Newlands, (author of Only Here, Only Now).
Each author will read from their latest works, which will be followed by a panel discussion about developing a career as an author with a focus on writers who are traditionally underrepresented in UK publishing.
About the London Writers Award 2026
Applications for the London Writers Awards programme 2026 will open in September this year. Sign up to our newsletter to be notified first.
About the Speakers
Alexandra Sheppard is a YA and MG author from London. Her debut YA novel ‘Oh My Gods’ 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.
Oisín McKenna grew up in Drogheda, Ireland, and lives in London. His novel Evenings and Weekends, described by both Dazed and The Evening Standard as ‘the book of the summer’, was published in 2024 by 4th Estate (UK) and Mariner Books (US). He was awarded the Next Generation Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to write Evenings and Weekends and it was developed with further support from Arts Council England. In 2022, he was awarded a London Writers Award, and in 2017, he was named in the Irish Times as one of the best spoken word artists in the country. He has written and performed four theatre shows, including ADMIN, an award-winning production at Dublin Fringe 2019, and his writing has appeared in GQ, the Evening Standard, the Irish Times, Banshee, and more.
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.
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.
About the event
This event will run for 2 hours.
Please note that the paid ticket price includes a free drink (stock dependent).
Bursary places
We have 5 free bursary places available for writers on a low income. We define this as either earning on or below the London Living Wage and/or in receipt of benefits (e.g. Universal Credit). If you would like to request a bursary place please email [email protected] with details of your eligibility for a bursary by 31 August 2025.
Access information
This session will take place in person at a venue that has wheelchair access, but unfortunately does not have a wheelchair accessible toilet. The nearest accessible toilet is at Haggerston Overground station.
If you require BSL interpretation, and/or have other access needs please email [email protected] so we can accommodate you.
Our sponsors
This event is made possible thanks to a generous donation from Sam and Rosie Berwick and sponsorship from ALCS.