The London Writer’s Awards announces this year’s winners

A prestigious writing programme which mentors writers from underrepresented backgrounds has announced this year’s winners – eleven of whom are from South London, writes Alexandra Warren.

The London Writer’s Awards offers a 10-month development programme for writers of colour and working class, LGBTQIA+ and disabled writers.

Among the winners in the young adults and children’s fiction category are Lambeth-based Remi Oshibanjo and Paige Cowan-Hall, who hails from Merton.

Ms Oshibanjo is the author of a collection of poetry and co-founder of AZ Magazine – the only British BME LGBT+ online publication.

Her writing focuses on the queer black British experience and how love leads all our lives.

Ms Cowan-Hall is a scriptwriter and English literature graduate

She began to write after becoming disappointed with the representation of people of colour in fantasy books, and had written her first novel by the time she was 15.

Other winners in this category were Deshani Shan, from Merton, and Serena Rozana from Lewisham.

Ex-immigration barrister Shereen Akhtar, from Streatham, was honoured in the Literary Fiction category. She was longlisted for the Women Poets’ Prize 2020 and her work focuses on improving inter-faith relations and increasing social tolerance and hospitality.

Franco-Vietnamese writer Cecile Pin, from Lambeth, and Brooklyn-born Victoria Cano, who currently lives in Wandsworth, were also winners in the same group.

Other recipients include Sadie Nott, from Beckenham, Joyia Fitch, from Lambeth, and Thomas Newlands and Tracey Weller, both from Bromley.

The programme, which is run by Spread the Word, includes preparation for meetings with agents and publishers, as well as workshops on mental health and self-care. Recipients will also attend critical feedback groups on their work every two weeks and nine masterclasses by people in the industry.

Financial support has also been given to 20 per cent of awardees.

Ruth Harrison, director of Spread the Word, said: “Equity and access are at the core of the London Writers Awards programme design. Being free does not make a programme equitable.

“The awards are not only free at point of entry but also provide bursaries and an access fund to pay for, for example, travel expenses, laptop, data, scribe or interpreter.

“This, combined with the mental health and self-care offer, one-to-one support and the alumni network, gives each participant a holistic package of support and community to achieve their creative goals, making the awards unique amongst the many diversity and inclusion initiatives currently taking place.”