The SOUTH LONDON WRITING SCHOOL (SLWS) was formed in 2025 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 creative writing, playfulness and the power of experimentation.
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 writers discover what they are interested in and in which form and genre. The classes are highly practical and the tutors offer feedback, encouragement, writing exercises, tips and unique personal insights 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 fifteen 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