Spread the Word, London’s writer development agency, is pleased to announce the 30 winners of the inaugural London Writers Awards. The Awards aim to increase the number of London-based writers of colour and working class, LGBTQ+ and disabled writers being taken up by agents and publishers.
Selected through open application, with judges including award-winning writers, editors and agents, the 2018 London Writers Awards’ winners are:
Poetry:
Helen Bowell, Jamie Hale, Annie Hayter, Lily Paine, Merrie Joy Williams, Jemilea Wisdom-Baako.
Literary fiction:
Koyer Ahmed, Tice Cin, Sofia Fara, Sara Jafari, Kira McPherson, Riley Rockford.
Commercial fiction:
Saskia Alais, Arun Das, Nina Duttaroy, Iqbal Hussain, Esther Poyer, Chris Simpson.
Narrative Non-fiction:
Marta Bausells, Gavino di Vino, Stacey Ng, Bunmi Ogunsiji, Elaine Williams, Stephen Wrench.
YA/ children’s:
Anne Chen, Alex Falase-Koya, Sahar Halaimzai, Priscilla Mante, Alexis Rigg, Lui Sit.
The winners will participate in a free intensive nine-month development programme which will include masterclasses led by bestselling authors such as Adam Kay, Catherine Johnson, Claire McGowan and Romesh Gunsekera and career focused sessions supported by founding partners; the Independent Publishers Guild, the Society of Authors, Knights Of; Burning Eye Books; Diamond, Kahn & Woods Literary Agency and Bookouture. The Awards will culminate in a showcase event on 23 May 2019.
