Hackney City of Stories Home Celebration Event

Come along to this special free event celebrating the launch of the City of Stories Home Anthology featuring talented new writers from across London, alongside published authors.

Take part in a relaxed creative writing workshop - aimed at those who would like to give writing a go or those who are already writers, hear local authors read their stories and pick up your own free copy of the Anthology. You can sign up to attend the creative writing workshop, the reading or both!

There’ll also be information on how your library can support you as a reader and writer, writing tips from the City of Stories Home commissioned writers and a City of Stories Home short story reading list curated by librarians to help you find your next read.

The celebration event will start off with a 45 minute creative writing taster session. There will then be a 15 minute break with the reading starting at 19:00.

You can find more information about City of Stories Home here: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/projects/cityofstorieshome/

About Lorraine Brown

North London-based Lorraine’s varied background spans fashion journalism and acting, giving her a unique take on storytelling. She also worked as a school receptionist whilst writing and taking a postgraduate diploma in psychodynamic counselling. She currently delivers counselling sessions alongside writing novels. The manuscript of what became Lorraine’s debut novel THE PARIS CONNECTION, which includes themes of financial hardship and challenging family dynamics, was longlisted for the Bath Novel award in 2016, after which she was chosen to be part of Penguin Random House’s WriteNow scheme, which aims to launch the careers of writers from backgrounds currently under-represented in the publishing industry. The novel was published in paperback by Orion Fiction in January 2022, as well as by Penguin Random House in the US last summer, and has also sold to twelve foreign territories worldwide including Germany, Italy and Portugal. Lorraine’s second novel, SORRY I MISSED YOU, will be out in June 2022.

About City of Stories Home

City of Stories Home is a London Libraries project run in partnership with Spread the Word. Taking place across all London’s library services between February to June 2022, it celebrates London’s writers and readers and libraries as the place to make and share stories. It is supported by Arts Council England and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

City of Stories Home FAQs

Is the celebration event free?

Both the celebration events creative writing taster sessions and readings are free to attend.

What access provision is in place?

The creative writing taster sessions and readings will be relaxed. The taster session will last for 45 minutes and there will be a 15 minute break between the taster session ending and the reading starting. If you have a specific access need, please do contact hello@spreadtheword.org.uk

Library access

Please take a look at the library’s access information here: https://hackney.gov.uk/stoke-newington-library/#accessibility If you have any further access queries about City of Stories Home events please email hello@spreadtheword.org.uk

Are any of the creative writing taster sessions and readings BSL interpreted?

Yes. The creative writing taster sessions and readings at Greenwich, Havering, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth and Sutton library services are BSL interpreted.

Do I have to live in London to participate in the event?

City of Stories Home is primarily for London residents as the focus is on engaging local communities with their local library service. If you live outside of London you can sign up to participate but priority will be given to Londoners if creative writing taster sessions and readings are oversubscribed.

Do I have to be a writer to attend the creative writing taster session?

No. The taster session is for people who would like to give writing a go as well as those who may have already started writing.

Can I attend more than one celebration event?

Yes you can.

Do I have to attend both the creative writing taster session and reading?

The creative writing taster session will be for 45 minutes, there will then be a 15 minute break before the reading starts. You can choose to attend either or both.

What are your COVID-19 protocols for the City of Stories Home celebration events?

As the COVID-19 situation stands, we anticipate the City of Stories Home in-person events to go ahead as planned. Following the Government’s decision to end the majority of Covid measures, our policy will remain in line with our library partners. We want everyone to be able to attend the City of Stories Home celebration events comfortably and confidently so, while no longer a requirement, we continue to encourage:

• anyone displaying Covid-like symptoms not to attend, and
• all attendees aged 16 and over to wear masks, except those that are exempt.