We are London's literature development agency. We are here to help London's underrepresented writers get their work into the world and connect communities to words and stories.
London Writers Centre was founded as Spread the Word in 1995. We’ve spent three decades nurturing writers, championing unheard voices and making literature accessible to all.
In December 2025, with a desire to raise the profile of the organisation and reach more storytellers, Spread the Word became London Writers Centre.
We are still working towards the same vision: opening doors to great storytelling.
London is one of the world’s most diverse cities, but our literary landscape does not reflect that richness. By supporting underrepresented writers, we are not just being fair - we are helping to make literature, publishing and storytelling better for everyone.
London Writers Centre is a charity and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
Spread the Word has earned the right after 30 years to call itself the London Writers Centre. So much has happened in society, culture, education and literature in the past thirty years. The literature landscape has become a lot more inclusive and it’s heartwarming to know that the organisation – brilliant, pioneering, legendary – has always been part of that drive towards change, and is still going from strength to strength.
