Three alumna from across Spread the Word development programmes have been awarded places on London Libraries Emerging Writers Programme.
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme supports early-career writers who have not yet published a full-length work of fiction, non-fiction, collection of poems, or had a full-length work professionally produced for stage/screen. The programme lasts one year, running from July 2025 to June 2026.
There was huge competition to take part. From nearly 2,000 entries judges selected just 40 writers for the programme. We are thrilled that Early Career Bursary alumna Sarah Cotton, and London Writers Awardees Anne Elicaño-Shields and Aparna Surendra have all been awarded places.
Sarah Cotton writes fiction which blurs the lines between the psychological and the unreal. In 2024 she received a Spread the Word Early Career Bursary and was longlisted and shortlisted for the Commonwealth and Bridport short story prizes. Her novel follows sisters navigating shifting power balances under patriarchal social systems.
Anne Elicaño-Shields is a Filipino writer and international development professional. She is the inaugural winner of the Political Short Story Award (Word Factory), a Future Worlds Prize finalist, and has performed at the London Literature Festival (Southbank Centre). She is writing her second novel, a decolonized retelling of a 19th century Filipino epic poem.
Aparna Surendra is a Sri Lankan writer based in London. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the White Review Short Story prize and Wasafiri New Writing Prize. She is a 2025 Tin House resident and previous recipient of the London Writers Award. Aparna writes fiction alongside a career in digital rights.
Read all about the programme on the London Library website.