The Literary Consultancy is inviting writers – published, unpublished, and everything in between – to be involved in a short film showing the world that we are writers, and telling them why we write. All you need is a mobile phone, camera or laptop to record a 10-second video answering the question ‘Why do you write?’ A selection will be collated into a short film that will be premiered at a special digital event called ‘Why I Write: Tales of Creativity and Resilience’ in the Summer, in association with Story Machine.

To buy your ticket for the film premiere, click here.

This crowd-sourced film is part of a wider initiative which is being launched this month to celebrate 25 years of TLC. Across a year of anniversary activities and programmes, we are asking the question:

What does it mean to be a writer in an age of innovation, creativity, censorship, and lockdown?

The Why I Write event will also include four specially commissioned short films featuring four celebrated authors talking to the theme ‘Why I Write’, with the full lineup to be announced in May. Following the ticketed digital premiere, all five films will be made freely available on the TLC website.

Also part of the ‘Why I Write’ project will be:

May Giveaway

We all need help and support to write freely and in comfort, and throughout May TLC will be launching a series of 25 mini giveaways for writers, to help you stay inspired and to keep writing. Free to enter, with all details available via our newsletter and social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

TLC Associate Artist launch

A TLC Associate Artist fund will be established using 100% of the ‘Why I Write’ ticket proceeds, to be awarded to a writer writing with creativity and imagination about the future. The callout for applications for the Associate Artist will prioritise those without creative writing qualifications (e.g., BAs or MAs) in order to widen the field of opportunity to find exciting new voices in storytelling.

The TLC Kitchen Table

In a nod to the fact that TLC was set up from our founder’s kitchen table, we are creating a digital ‘kitchen table’ onto which we invite people to ‘place’ their memories of TLC, so that we can celebrate 25 years of TLC’s impact on the literary world, and 25 years of investing in writers’ reasons to write, as well as supporting their output. We will welcome writing, audio, video, and artwork which will be showcased in an innovative format. 

‘Why I Write’ survey

Exploring the reality for writers writing post-Covid, with their motivations, hopes, and aspirations for the future of storytelling. We welcome approaches from partners who would like to join forces in order to ensure the survey is relevant to present moment, as far-reaching as possible, and whose findings can be presented in a creative, inspirational way.

TLC Birthday Party

We celebrate 25 years of TLC with a typical TLC knees-up in November 2021. There will be literature, there will be music, there will be cake, and there will also be a few surprises…

Alongside our anniversary activities, we will be offering the usual programme of editorial consultancy, mentoring, and literary events including workshops on writing and wellbeing, support for post-publication writers, and a new series on writers and their agents. Please keep an eye on the Events page, or sign up to our newsletter here.