Off Script: The Second Career

What does it take to leave an established career behind and start again as a writer? We’ll be talking to writers who came to the industry from very different professional worlds about making the leap and the realities of building a second career in film, TV and publishing.

Christina Sweeney-Baird is a novelist and screenwriter for TV and film, living in London. After graduating from University of Cambridge, she worked as a corporate litigation lawyer at Slaughter and May, before writing her debut novel THE END OF MEN, which was translated into 17 languages and optioned by Warner Brothers.She’s currently lead-writing legal drama THE JUDGE for Two Cities, two dramas for BBC Studios, an original series with Kevin McKidd, and a procedural drama for Eleventh Hour. On the features side, Christina’s is writing an original project for Elation Pictures, and she has also picked up a commission from Audible for a major new audio thriller. Her legal thriller CONFLICTS featured on the Brit List with 22 nominations.

Jen Wakefied is a London-based writer and screenwriter drawn to stories that make people laugh, think, and feel seen. A former primary school teacher, she found her way into comedy, taking three shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, performing for the BBC Asian Network, and hosting a Radio 1 podcast. Her one-woman show was selected for the Soho Rising Festival at Soho Theatre.

Fascinated by themes of identity, belonging, and play, Jen wove these into her CBBC short ‘The Main Part’, inspired by her experiences growing up mixed-race and nominated for a BAFTA in 2021.

She has since written across children's animation, live action, sketch comedy, and theatre, and her debut picture book is due to be published in 2027 with Simon & Schuster.