Applications for the Emerging Writers Programme are now closed. Applicants will be notified during the second half of April.
The London Library – which has been a centre for great writing and great writers for over 175 years - today announced the launch of its new Emerging Writers Programme, geared towards supporting writers at the start of their careers and helping develop their work. The Programme offers writers one year’s membership of The London Library (which normally costs £535 per annum) alongside writing development masterclasses, literary networking opportunities, peer support and guidance in use of the Library’s resources. The Programme runs from 2 May 2019 – 1 May 2020.
The Library’s Emerging Writers Programme is open to anyone who is committed to pursuing a career in writing (for publication or performance) and wants to develop their work. Applicants should be working on, or planning, a specific project which will make extensive use of the Library’s resources and is intended for publication or production. The Programme is targeted at emerging writers who have not yet published a full-length work of fiction, non-fiction or a collection of poems, or had a full-length work professionally produced for mainstream film, TV or the stage.
The Programme has been established with the help of Library supporters including literary agency AM Heath, The Garrick Charitable Trust, The Golden Bottle Trust, and the Julio and Maria Marta Núñez Memorial Fund, and initially will fund up to 40 places. The closing date for applications is 12pm on Monday 4 March 2019; applications will then be selected anonymously by a panel of judges including London Library Trustee and writer Daisy Goodwin (chair), Head of Prizes and Awards at the Society of Authors Paula Johnson, novelist Nikita Lalwani, and an agent from AM Heath.
Under the Emerging Writers Programme, successful applicants will get free access to the Library’s unique collection which includes over one million books and over 2,500 periodicals titles arranged on open shelves that can all be borrowed. Membership also includes access to extensive online resources and dedicated writing and research spaces in the Library’s extraordinary building in central London.
The Emerging Writers Programme draws on the Library’s long association with writers and thinkers. Many have begun their literary careers here and thousands continue to draw on the Library to explore and develop their work. Author Davina Langdale describes how the Library provided the inspiration for her 2017 debut novel, The Brittle Star. “It would never have come into being without The London Library... It not only provided the research material for the book but it provided the perfect place for me to write.” Novelist Kate Davies described how the Library provided the perfect environment for her to write her first novel, In At The Deep End, appearing in February 2019. “I joined the Library when I left my job to write full time, and I come almost every day. I love writing surrounded by other writers.”
Bill Hamilton, Managing Director of AM Heath commented: “We’re marking our 2019 centenary at the heart of London’s literary life by investing in writers, both established ones and the next generation. As part of this we are sponsoring a number of subscriptions to The London Library for emerging book writers who are not yet published and who might find it hard to afford or get access to such a resource. The number of our established clients who have used this unique working environment long term is testimony to its enduring value.“
Philip Marshall, Director of The London Library, concluded: “The London Library has long been a centre of literary creativity and inspiration. Our new Emerging Writers Programme will provide invaluable support to those beginning the journey towards a writing career, opening up the extensive resources of The London Library to empower their imagination and take forward the projects they are developing.”
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Notes to Editor
About The Emerging Writers Programme - Eligibility
1. The London Library Emerging Writers Programme is open to anyone aged 16 or over (as of 1 May 2019).
2. Applicants must be UK residents.
3. Applicants must be emerging writers. We define an emerging writer as someone who: has not previously published a novel, full-length non-fiction book, or a collection of poems or short stories; has not had work professionally produced via mainstream channels, studios or theatres for film, television or stage; is not currently under contract to produce any of the above.
This does not include: self-published work; work published online; chapbooks and pamphlets; short stories, articles or poems published within an anthology, journal, magazine or newspaper; works produced non-professionally for film, television or stage or works for fringe theatre productions; textbooks or academic texts
4. The scheme is open to writers of any genre
5. Applicants must be committed to making use of The London Library resources:
Use of the physical space as a base for writing and networking
Use of the collection (both physical and digital) to inspire thought and inform research and writing
For more information about eligibility requirements, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Full details about the Programme, including downloadable application forms, can be found at www.londonlibrary.co.uk/emerging-writers
