Administered by the Society of Authors, the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Trust Young Writer of the Year Award works with a growing network of partners to provide a critical support system to the very best talent at work right now. We are pleased to have partnered with the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Trust Young Writer of the Year Award, offering two years’ Library membership to the winner as well as a year’s membership for the shortlist.

The award is given annually to the best work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry by a British or Irish author of 35 or under. It finds and celebrates authors of the highest quality at the beginning of their careers; the award’s alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of modern British and Irish literature over the last 30 years, from Zadie Smith and Sarah Waters to poet laureate Simon Armitage and Robert Macfarlane. The 2021 winner will join Jay Bernard (2020), Raymond Antrobus (2019), Adam Weymouth (2018), Sally Rooney (2017), Max Porter (2016) and Sarah Howe (2015) on the impressive list of recent alumni.

Following a digital edition last year, The London Library returns as a host for the ceremony and the 2021 winner will be announced at the Library on 24 February 2022. In the mean time you can read about the amazing writers who have been shortlisted here https://www.youngwriteraward.com/2021-shortlist-revealed/

Over the weekend (15-16 January) there was no access to the Library's electronic resources for members, unless you were physically in the Library building. Our IT Support worked to restore access and has identified the problem, which lay with the authentication and access software provided by an external company.  

We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this temporary loss of access, and are pleased to share that our eResources are all now available once more. Thank you for your patience as we worked to resolve this issue. 

Start 2022 with a literary bang with events at The London Library! Explore your early morning creativity with a new series of Write & Shine workshops, inspired by the intrepid women of The London Library. Stretch your body and mind with Yoga for Writing. Or simply sit back and enjoy our eclectic talks programme, in which the very best contemporary short story writers come together to deconstruct the form; one of our greatest biographers reveals the young HG Wells; eminent historians discuss the last witches of England and delve into a Stasi poetry circle, and we revel in musical riches from folk legends to hip hop classics. Join us in person or online to get your fix of literary kicks. 

You can buy tickets and find more information here. If you have any queries feel free to get in touch with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We look forward to seeing you in the Library!