City Writes is City St George’s termly writing event, showcasing the best of City St George’s Short Courses writing talent.

Hosted by longstanding short courses tutor, Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, and into its seventh year, City Writes provides an opportunity for the best new writers from the City Short Courses community to read an extract of their work, sharing the stage with one of our published alumni or tutors reading from their new or award-winning publication

Enter our City Writes Competition

 

For an exciting opportunity to read alongside our published guest speaker at the City Writes event, short course writing students and alumni are invited to take part in the City Writes termly writing competition.

 

To be considered, applicants must submit 1,000 word of fiction writing (we also accept creative non-fiction, such as memoir or travel writing, and though we do accept young adult, we don’t currently accept children’s fiction) on any subject. Competition and submission guidelines can be found here.

Our guest this term is debut author, Fiona Keating, a Writers’ Workshop alumna. Described as a dazzling debut, Fiona Keating’s Smoke and Silk came out with Hachette earlier this year. A historical thriller with opium, murder and romance, Smoke and Silk is an immersive and compelling journey into Victorian London’s Chinese community.

 

Fiona is a journalist and editor, covering world news, travel and current affairs as well as history and archaeology. She has worked for ITN, IBTimes, SKY, the Independent, and the Guardian. She was born in Penang, Malaysia, is from Chinese/Irish heritage and has lived in London since she was two years old. In addition to her Writers’ Workshop participation, Fiona completed the Crime Writing MA at City St Georges (now Creative Writing MA) and lives in Greenwich with her partner. Smoke and Silk is her first novel.

 

For your chance to join Fiona Keating on stage on the 9th July 2025 over Zoom, all you need to do is submit your best 1,000 words of creative fiction or non-fiction (we do accept young adult fiction but don’t currently accept children’s fiction) on any subject to rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk with details of the City short course you are taking or have taken by midnight on Friday 13th June. Competition and submission guidelines can be found below.

We can’t wait to read your submissions. Good luck!

Key Dates:

  • deadline for competition entry is midnight Friday 13th June.
  • competition winners will be announced in Week 9
  • event is 9th July 2025 at 7pm on Zoom. Register here.
Past guest speakers have included:
Deepa Anappara, City Writes guest and author of acclaimed novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
City Writes Competition Submission Guidelines 
City Writes is City St George’s Short Courses most prestigious writing event. For the opportunity to read your work alongside our published guest speakers at our event, past and present students email their 1000 word fiction or creative non-fiction story or extract to Rebekah.lattin-rawstrone.2@city.ac.uk.
  • Your story doesn’t need to follow a theme, it just needs to be the best 1000 words you can send us.
  • Your email should state your name, the title of your story/extract and the name of the City Creative Writing Short Course you took or are taking.
  • Your story should be attached as a word (doc. Or docx.) rich text or pdf document and should not include your name to allow us to judge the stories anonymously. Please name your file with the story title and not your name or the competition name.
Please do not submit more than one story per term. Multiple submissions will not be read.
You will be informed of the outcome of your submission by the end of week nine of teaching. No comments or feedback will be given on unsuccessful submissions.
Thank you and good luck!