The Working Class Writers’ Festival and the Women’s Prize Trust collaborate on free events

The Working Class Writers’ Festival and the Women’s Prize Trust have joined forces to deliver a series of three, free, co-branded online events this autumn, devised to provide writers from working-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds with the opportunity to “come together to learn, connect and grow in their craft”, and to help them “navigate the industry and remove barriers to them getting published​".

Authors Jill Dawson and Jacqueline Crooks, shortlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction, will deliver two writing workshops – with a focus on writing a synopsis and “applying your individual voice to storytelling” – while a Demystifying Publishing conversation will feature Trapeze editor Serena Arthur, Blake Friedmann agent Juliet Pickering, Transworld publicist Alison Barrow and Class Festival artistic director Natasha Carthew.​

Carthew said​:​ “It’s important that my work as a literary director goes beyond a static one-place once-a-year festival. The wider engagement programme that my committee and I seek to provide delivers not only much-needed exposure for working-class writers, but brings together opportunity and inspiration to those from low socio-economic backgrounds through engaging partnerships. This is why I’m delighted to be joining the inspirational Women’s Prize Trust in delivering these brilliant, free events this autumn.”

Executive director at the Women’s Prize Trust, ​Claire Shanahan​, said: “Our mission at the Women’s Prize Trust is to champion equity of opportunity for women in the world of books. As part of this, we are continuing to deepen our outreach work with new and emerging writers and those who are interested in publishing, prioritising access at the intersection of gender and class.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Working Class Writers’ Festival – who have been doing such vital, thoughtful and transformative work in this area – to deliver a series of free workshops this autumn that will offer practical tools, as well as inspiring interactions with authors and experts, to support women to embrace the potential of their own individual voice.”

Writers can find out more about the workshops and how to sign up here.