At Litro we can teach good writing because we know good writing.

Together with our team of talented editors and readers, we have championed big names before they were big names, publishing people like Richard House, Nikesh Shukla, Eleanor Catton, Stuart Evers, Clare Wigfall, Naomi Alderman, Lucie Whitehouse, Louise Stern, Sara Maitland, Peng Shepherd and many more.

“A concoction of professionalism and eccentricity, Cat is essential for any writer trying to work out their own writing. During her stimulating course with Litro, she kicks open the garden gate to the imagination and lets it swing.”

- Katie Lodge (student of Catherine McNamara’s Flash Fiction Course)

"Returning to writing after a break of many years, I was nervous to join a 'masterclass', but Catherine was warm and encouraging from the start. She focuses on practical tips and is willing to spend time reviewing and editing work which I feel has given me a great starting point. I would highly recommend the class."

- Sarah Nowell

Sara Maitland

WATU

This story was originally published in Litro #96: Gangs. In 1979 Maitland won the Somerset Maugham Award for Daughter of Jerusalem. In 2009 she was nominated for the Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize for A Book of Silence. Also in 2009 she was a runner up in the BBC National Short Story Award for her story ‘Moss Witch'.

Naomi Alderman

I LOVE YOU CRAZY

We originally published this story in Litro #98: Money. Alderman's literary début came in 2006 with Disobedience, which won her the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers and the 2007 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Her second novel The Lessons, was published in 2010, followed by The Liars' Gospel in 2012. Alderman was selected as a protégée by Margaret Atwood, one result of this was her fourth novel The Power (2016). The Power won the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction in 2017. The novel was also named by Barack Obama on his list of favourite books of the year.

Richard House

MAX405

This short story by Richard House and was originally published in Litro #99: Russia. House’s novel The Kills was shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize. His previous novels, Bruiser and Uninvited , were published by Serpent's Tail. His fiction and co-authored short films have received support from the Arts Council and the UK Film Council. He lectures in creative writing at the University of Birmingham.

Irenosen Okojie

JENN NKIRU INTERVIEW

Okojie was awarded the AKO Caine prize for African writing in 2020. She is a Nigerian-British writer. Her debut novel Butterfly Fish won a Betty Trask award and was shortlisted for an Edinburgh International First Book Award. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Observer, the Guardian, the BBC and the Huffington Post amongst other publications. For Litro #162: Literary Highlife Okojie's interviewed Jenn Nkiru.

Kate Wiliams

THE WEAKNESS OF HEARTS

We originally published Williams in Litro 104: History. Williams has lectured in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. She writes articles on history for The Daily Telegraph, and reviews for BBC History, History Today and the Financial Times. She has also written many very successful biographies and novels and has been a judge on various prize panels. Williams appears frequently on radio and TV as a presenter and expert, specialising in social, constitutional and royal history.

Clare Wigfall

THE PARTY'S JUST GETTING STARTED

Wigfall’s story was originally published in Litro #97: East London. At just 21, Faber and Faber offered Wigfall a book contract, based on reading a single story she had written. Her debut collection The Loudest Sound and Nothing was published in 2007 to critical acclaim. In 2008 she won the BBC National Short. Her stories have been published in Prospect, Tatler, The Dublin Review and commissioned for BBC Radio 4.

Louise Stern

RIO

We originally published Stern’s story in Litro #97: East London. This story also features in Chattering, Stern's collection of short stories published by Granta in 2011. Her first novel Ismael and His Sisters was also published by Granta, in 2015. Stern has written plays, including The Ugly Birds and The Interpreter,
which was performed at the Bush Theatre.

Samuel Wright

We originally published Wright’s story in Litro #97: East London. He has been shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition, he came third in the Bridport Flash Fiction Prize and won the Unbound Press Short Story Prize 2011 and the Writers and Artists Yearbook Prize 2011. This summer it was announced that Wright won the Northern Book Prize for his début novel Fit which will be published in the UK and US in October 2021.

Niall Boyce

TRANSMISSION

Boyce’s story was originally published in Litro 105: Science. He is a writer and editor and the author of the Veronica Britton detective series. He’s also provided non-fiction material for Doctor Who and written about artists such as the cartoonist Ronald Searle and the Victorian painter Richard Dadd.

Barry McKinley

JOB

McKinley’s story was originally published in Litro 104: History. Since publishing in Litro, his play Elysium Nevada was nominated for the Best New Play, Irish Theatre Awards, he has written for BBC Radio 4 and RTE and was twice shortlisted for the Hennessy Literary Award.

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