City of Stories is an Association of London’s Chief Librarian’s project run in partnership with Spread the Word.
Taking place over two years (2017 and 2018), it aims to position libraries as the place to discover and create stories by:
* Celebrating and promoting short stories to readers across London libraries;
* Engaging London’s diverse communities with telling their own stories;
* Supporting the development of London’s emerging short story writers.
It offers Londoners the chance to:
* Take part in free creative writing workshops across London;
* Enter the City of Stories 500 word story competition (if they have attended a City of Stories workshop);
* Attend reading events in libraries;
* Read new work by City of Stories writers-in-residence and competition winners.
In 2017, 430 writers participated in 40 free writing workshops across London. The short story writing competition received 227 submissions, resulting in 20 competition winners, two of whom went on to be selected for Spread the Word’s PLATFORM scheme for emerging talented writers.
This year, workshops will be taking place in 21 boroughs across London: 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 book your space at a workshop taking place near you, visit: bit.ly/LondonCityofStories