City Writes Autumn

City Writes is City, University of London’s termly writing event, showcasing the best of City Short Courses writing talent.

Hosted by longstanding short courses tutor, Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, and into its fifth year, City Writes provides an opportunity for the best new writers from the City Short Courses community to read an extract of their work, sharing the stage with one of our published alumni or tutors reading from their new or award-winning publication.

Enter our City Writes Competition

For an exciting opportunity to read alongside our published guest speaker at the City Writes event, short course writing students and alumni are invited to take part in the City Writes termly writing competition.

To be considered, applicants must submit 1,000 word of fiction writing (we also accept creative non-fiction, such as memoir or travel writing, and though we do accept young adult, we don’t currently accept children’s fiction) on any subject.

Competition and submission guidelines can be found here.

The next City Writes event will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 15th December 2021 which is open to all to attend, even if you have not submitted a piece of writing.

This term’s guest alumnus is Ciaran Thapar. Ciaran’s book Cut Short: Youth Violence, Loss and Hope in the City, was published by Viking UK (Penguin) in June 2021 to great critical acclaim.

For your chance to join Ciaran on the online stage, all you need to do is send us 1,000 words of your best creative writing (fiction or non-fiction, YA but sadly no poetry or children’s fiction) by Friday 19th November 2021. Full submission details are below.

City Writes Competition Submission Guidelines 

City Writes is City Short Courses most prestigious writing event. For the opportunity to read your work alongside our published guest speakers at our spring event, past and present students email their 1000 word fiction or creative non-fiction story or extract to [email protected].

• Your story doesn’t need to follow a theme, it just needs to be the best 1000 words you can send us.
• Your email should state your name, the title of your story/extract and the name of the City Creative Writing Short Course you took or are taking.
• Your story should be attached as a word (doc. Or docx.) rich text or pdf document and should not include your name to allow us to judge the stories anonymously.

Please do not submit more than one story per term. Multiple submissions will not be read.

You will be informed of the outcome of your submission by the end of week nine of teaching. No comments or feedback will be given on unsuccessful submissions.

If you have any questions about City Writes, please email Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone. Thank you and good luck!