The London Writers’ Club (Made in London)
All writers need to stick together whether they’re published or unpublished, so don’t be plagued with feelings of guilt just because your chosen profession leads you to elongated bouts of solitary confinement. Indeed there is a chance for you to get out and about to places other than the local supermarket. The London Writers’ Club will give you sanctuary.
I had never been to any of their events before so was unsure about what to expect but figured that I qualified as (a) I’m a freelance writer (b) I live in London. The session with Jessica Leeke, Senior Commissioning Editor for Simon and Schuster UK, was held in trendy Clerkenwell. I admit I was probably the last to arrive as everyone had already found their seats but I did not miss the start. What transpired was Jessica’s take on the current trends and how things work in the fiction process from the publisher’s viewpoint. That was followed by an interesting Q&A and there was a nice air of informality where the audience were allowed to ask the questions that they wanted. It was an opportunity for writers to get a one to one with an editor of a big publishing house and to meet other writers too. The event was organised by the influential Jacqueline Burns (top left) and Kirsty Mclachlan (top right) and was a very informative night.