City of Stories
Celebrating London's writers, readers and libraries
City of Stories is project run by Spread the Word and the London Libraries. Taking place in 21 London boroughs over 2 years, it aimed to engage London's diverse communities, and encourage participants to tell their own stories.
It offered Londoners the chance to:
Read and engage with new work by City of Stories writers-in-residence
Take part in free creative writing workshops across London
Enter the City of Stories 500-word story competition
Attend celebratory reading events in their local library
Across the project 1,246 writers participated in 42 free writing workshops. The short story writing competition received 540 submissions, resulting in 42 competition winners, two of whom went on to be selected for Spread the Word’s PLATFORM scheme for emerging talented writers.
“Participating was an outstanding success for us and has really raised the profile of creative writing, reading, and libraries in the Borough. It has proven that this Borough does have a literate and creative community, particularly in Woolwich which traditionally seen, unfairly, as none of these things. Off the back of City of Stories we have launched an African Caribbean Creative Writers Group and will be launching a second group with our 2017 winner.”
The programme took place across the London boroughs of: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Brent, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster.
To take part and book your space at a workshop taking place near you, visit: bit.ly/LondonCityofStories
