London Writers Centre is delighted to be partnering with the WME Literary Agency for our latest 1-2-1 feedback opportunity. From Wednesday 13 May 2026, we will be accepting submissions for:
· Horror
· Romantasy
· Fantasy
· Speculative Fiction
· Science Fiction
Suzannah Ball and Francesca Ali, literary agents at WME Literary Agency, are offering a maximum of eight short feedback sessions for submissions by writers from underrepresented backgrounds based in the UK.
Each agent will be offering up to four 20-minute sessions by phone or video.
What the agents looking for:
Suzannah is on the lookout for books with a spark of magic or darkness that surprise and excite her. Anything with romance is always a plus, but essentially Suzy is excited to delve into something truly original and imaginative.
Francesca is looking for expansive fantasy with an immersive world that she could almost step through the pages into. Top of her list is science-fiction that has a lot of heart and found family, with adventure that soars across the stars.
We define writers from backgrounds under-represented in publishing as those who:
· From a lower socio-economic background as defined by the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion guidance
· Have experienced a lack of academic and/or vocational training opportunities – i.e. have not been able to study/train to their full potential due to low income, ill health, being a carer etc.
· Are or have been a carer
· Have experienced homelessness
· Are a single parent
· Have a disability
· Are Black, Asian, or Global Majority
· Are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community
How to apply
Please note this opportunity is only open to unpublished and unagented writers based in the UK. Apply via Submittable. Only one entry per applicant will be accepted.
We will be open for submissions at 7pm on Wednesday 13 May 2026.
To apply, you will need to upload 3 documents:
· A covering letter of 1-2 pages that includes: A little information about yourself and your motivations for your project, a short pitch, a summary of your writing endeavours to date (e.g. Have you taken part in writing development opportunities? Have you mainly been writing on your own at home?), any comparative titles to your project.
· A one-page synopsis
· An extract from your project (3,000 words maximum)
If you are a disabled writer, there is the option to submit visual or audio submissions. Please get in touch with hello@londonwriterscentre.org.uk if you need any support with this.
Suzannah and Francesca will be giving feedback on the documents that you submit.
Timeline
· Submissions will open at 7pm on Wednesday 13 May 2026
· The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Wednesday 8 July 2026
· Applicants will know the outcome of their submission by Tuesday 29 September 2026 and successful applicants will receive their feedback by the end of November 2026.
· We may do a follow up blog post with the writers who receive feedback to go live in early 2027.
If you have any queries about your application or this opportunity, please get in touch with hello@londonwriterscentre.org.uk.
There Is Only Narrative is a programme run by London Writers Centre in partnership with the Eve White Literary Agency to find and develop new non-fiction writers from diverse backgrounds.
As part of the programme we have a free to enter competition open to unpublished and unagented UK-based writers aged 18+ who identify as one or more of the following:
- Black, Asian, Global Majority
- Disabled
- LGBTQIA+
- Working Class upbringing
- Low-income*
*We define low-income as earning on or below the Living Wage and/or in receipt of benefits such as Universal Credit.
To enter you will need to submit a min-proposal for a non-fiction book, which includes a title, optional subtitle, pitch, summary, author biography and extract. For guidance on crafting your mini-proposal, as well as the terms and conditions please visit: https://www.londonwriterscentre.org.uk/project/there-is-only-narrative/
The deadline for this competition is 5pm on Tuesday 23 June 2026. If you have any questions please email hello@londonwriterscentre.org.uk.
We look forward to your submission.
The Young Writers Collective is a writing group for young people aged 18 – 30 and living in South East London. The programme is active between September and March. The first edition took place in 2024; since then, the programme has run annually.
This year's facilitators for YWC 2026 include: Sarah Howe, March Jean Chan, Rachel Long, Fiona Benson, Caroline Bird, Yomi Sode, Safia Elhillo, Natalie Shapero, Richard Siken, Isabel Baafi, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Roger Robinson, Cecilia Knapp, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Victoria Kennefick, Courtney Conrad, Toby Campion and Carmin Wong.
Applicants must be:
Between the ages of 18 and 30 years old.
Must live in London, with priority given to those living in South East London, specifically Lewisham, Southwark, Greenwich and Bromley.
Must be unagented
Yet to publish a pamphlet and/or poetry collection
File Format: Usually .doc, .docx, or .pdf (PDF is best for specific formatting).
Document Structure: One document with two poems OR an audio recording of the two poems you wish to submit.
Anonymity: No name or contact info should appear inside the document.
Formatting: Times New Roman, 12-point font is standard.
For any further queries, please email courtney@londonwriterscentre.org.uk