City of Stories

Words of Colour is the communications and PR delivery partner on City of Stories, an Arts Council England funded London-wide celebration of writing, reading and stories, managed by Spread the Word and commissioned by the Association of London Chief Librarians.

Leading writers Leone Ross (Come Let Us Sing Anyway), Gary Budden (Hollow Shores), Meena Kandasamy (When I Hit You) and Olumide Popoola (When We Speak of Nothing) have taken up City of Stories residencies in four London libraries. Each writer has been commissioned to pen an original short story, inspired by their locality and Londoners’ tales, which will be published in an anthology and made into short films.

Now in its second year, the initiative will also:

• Run 42 free short story writing workshops in June 2018, inviting Londoners to pick up a pen and write their story in libraries across 21 London boroughs, led by 11 critically acclaimed writers, including the four writers in residence.
• Host a City of Stories 500 word Short Story Competition for participants who have attended the workshops, with a judging panel comprised of the writers in residence.
• Publish an anthology featuring the writers in residence’s original short stories alongside the writing of the 20 competition winners.
• Identify and develop new talent from the City of Stories competition entrants, with an invitation to attend a writer development day.

For more information about the programme, and to participate in one of the free workshops, visit: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/projects/city-of-stories/.