#360 The Big Break with London Writers Centre

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with our friends over at London Writers Centre! Find out more below...

Dear Writers,

I’m Bobby from London Writers Centre, London’s literature development agency. I manage programs to help writers develop their craft and build their knowledge of the publishing and agenting industries. This year, the main programs I’m working on are the London Writers Awards, which has helped to launch the careers of over 60 writers, the Wellcome Collection Non-Fiction Awards, which focuses on new writing on health and being human, and There Is Only Narrative, a program in partnership with the Eve White Literary Agency that supports writers working on their first non-fiction title.

The core of my work focuses on helping writers make breakthroughs in their creative practice. This can mean many things, from finishing a novel and winning a competition to getting a book deal and becoming a published author. Breakthroughs are my business, so I would like to use this opportunity for you to explore breakthroughs in your own writing, whether they be personal or professional.

I look forward to reading your submissions.

Special Update: The Results 🏆

The top pick for this takeover was "The Official Record" by Rochelle Victor. Here's what our guest judge had to say about the winning story:

This is a fantastic short story: funny, layered, and perfectly paced with commentary on the challenges of being an immigrant and a parent in a precarious economy without ever feeling like you are being told what to think or feel. The story responds to the theme of arriving at a breakthrough just in time (or much too late) in multiple ways, from the mild agony of waiting for a medical appointment to the frustrations of academia. The clincher: the use of the word 'bardolator'!

Congratulations to contest winner Rochelle Victor and the runners-up, Madeleine Meyyappan and Ernest Leong!