The 2025/26 London Library Emerging Writers cohort is announced!
We have now selected our new cohort. Scroll down to find out who they are.
All applicants were contacted with the outcome of their application on 30 May. Please check your junk file if you did not receive the email.
Applications for 2026/27 Programme open in January 2026.
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme, now in its seventh year, is a unique opportunity which offers writers, in all genres and disciplines, one year’s free membership of The London Library and includes writing development masterclasses, networking opportunities, peer support, access to and guidance in using all the Library’s resources and publication in the cohort anthology. With its rich cultural heritage, extensive open access book collection, dedicated writing spaces and its diverse community of established writers, the benefits of Library membership are invaluable.
For over 180 years The London Library has played a central role in inspiring writers and researchers, helping them explore and develop their work. From Charles Dickens to Sarah Waters, Charles Darwin to Simon Schama, Virginia Woolf to Kazuo lshiguro, Bram Stoker to Jessie Burton, TS Eliot to Raymond Antrobus, writers have found it to be an unrivalled resource. Previous members of The London Library Emerging Writers Programme have gone on to find agents, publishers and have had work produced for stage, screen and radio. See below for more information on previous cohorts.
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme is open to anyone over 18 years of age who is committed to pursuing a career in writing and wants to develop their practice. Applicants should be working, or planning to work, on a specific project, with the aim of publication or production, and have a clear idea of how they might use the Library’s resources to achieve that aim. They should be willing to fully participate in all elements of the Programme and immerse themselves in the writing community it offers. There is no application fee and participation on the Programme is funded (please scroll down for more information).
If you still have any questions, please contact the Programme Team, on 0207 766 4765 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Programme Funding
The 2025/26 Emerging Writers Programme is only possible because of generous support from partners and donors, including The Charlotte Aitken Trust, Hawthornden Foundation, Bloomsbury Publishing.
Two bursary funds are available to support members of the cohort who may face financial, health, or any other barriers that would prevent them fully accessing the Programme. The Emerging Writers Programme Access Bursary helps support those participants most in need and the Virago Participation Bursary has been generously funded by Virago Press to support Black women and Black writers from under-represented genders.
The 2024/25 London Library Emerging Writers Programme is only possible because of the generous support the Library has received from Bloomsbury Publishing, The Charlotte Aitken Trust, the Garrick Charitable Trust, John & Kiendl Gordon, Sir Max Hastings, Hawthornden Foundation, The International Friends of The London Library, Gretchen & James Johnson, Simon Lorne, Robert MacLeod, the Julio and Maria Marta Nuñez Memorial Fund, Jerzy Peterkiewicz Educational Foundation, Deborah Goodrich Royce, Sarah & Hank Slack and other anonymous donors. If you are interested in supporting the Emerging Writers Programme please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or donate online.
VIEW THE 2023/24 COHORT and ANTHOLOGY
VIEW THE 2022/23 COHORT and ANTHOLOGY
VIEW THE 2021/22 COHORT and ANTHOLOGY
VIEW THE 2020/21 COHORT and ANTHOLOGY
VIEW THE 2019/20 COHORT and ANTHOLOGY
