The SOUTH LONDON WRITING SCHOOL (SLWS) was formed as a response to the need for in person, creative writing courses south of the river. Offering an antidote to the data-driven digital age, the aim is to nurture creativity and build community through writing, playfulness and the love of books.
Founded by award-winning author and performer, Karen McLeod, the school's programme offers courses throughout the year, tutored by industry professionals and published London-based writers, artists and performers.
The mix of six week courses and monthly Sunday Masterclasses are designed to help you discover what you are interested in writing about and in which form and genre. The classes are highly practical and the tutor will offer feedback, encouragement, writing tips and a unique & personal insight into their writing lives. When appropriate this will include information around their experience of the publishing, arts and TV/film industries.
The Founder of SLWS
Karen McLeod, is a writer, performer and creative writing tutor and writer-in-residence at Bookseller Crow. She has run writing courses at The Bookseller Crow and nationwide for over thirteen years and tutors with the Arvon Foundation, National Centre for Writing, Scotland's National Writing Centre and Polari LGBTQ+ salon.
Her debut novel, In Search of the Missing Eyelash, was published by Jonathan Cape and won the Betty Trask Award and was translated widely. Recently it was celebrated as a ‘lesbian classic’ by being republished with Muswell Press. She wrote In Search of the Missing Eyelash in hotel rooms across the globe while working as cabin crew. Coming full circle, her memoir, Lifting Off is about the years she worked and subsequently went into free-fall, as cabin crew. It was longlisted for the Polari Prize 2025.
Join Karen's Substack The Short Tall Letter here Follow her on instagram here