A Croydon-based children’s book editor is one of the 19 winners of the City of Stories writing competition, launched by Spread to Word, and the Association of London Chief Librarians, to discover hidden talent in London libraries.
Winning writer: Vicky Richards
The competition followed a set of creative writing workshops held across London over the summer, and the announcement coincides with National Libraries Week.
Vicky Richards was announced as the Croydon winner, for her short story Seer, Unseen.
She said: “I am thrilled that the judges liked my story. Both the workshop and the competition have given me a lot more confidence in my writing, and I now plan to write many more short stories in the future.”
Highly commended entries in Croydon were by Lucinda Offer (with Washed Up), and Lynne Couzins (Alice).
The creative writing competition was judged by three of the project’s four writers-in-residence: Irenosen Okojie (Butterfly Fish, Betty Trask Award 2016), Courttia Newland (The Gospel According to Cane) and Bidisha (Asylum and Exile: The Hidden Voices of London).
All the winning entries are featured in The City of Stories anthology alongside highly commended writers and four stories written by the project’s writers-in-residence. The anthology will be available, on loan, from 20 participating library services, and can be purchased from the Spread the Word website.
The winners are also invited to attend a writers’ development day.
Anthony Hopkins, the president of the Association of London Chief Librarians, said: “City of Stories has been a tremendous way to connect people with libraries to develop new writing talent. The stories included cover a range of different subjects and interests and show a city full of creativity.”
Budding writers will have another chance to develop their ideas and writing with anothr 20 free workshops being staged across the capital throughout November. In Croydon, the writing workshop will be held at the Central Library on November 18, from 2pm to 4pm, when taking the session will be the poet, Miriam Nash.
The session is free, but you are asked to book your place by clicking here.
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