special event
the Hammersmith and Fulham Writers Festival 2024
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About Us
The WILDE Foundation is a charity that uses the power of literature to explore, express, and heal. We have found it is an effective way of working with women to give them the voice they never knew they had. 2021 was the date that marked the first annual Writers’ Festival in the west London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
This festival platforms a host of authors, writers, playwrights, and poets from across all genres, but particularly focuses on female Authors of colour, Indie Authors, Publishers, and book lovers.
The idea for the writer’s festival came about during lockdown, after the women and girl’s community organisation, WILDE (Women In Literature Development Empowerment) who host creative and empowerment events found that our borough had no writer’s festival. Our CEO, Rasheda Malcolm soon put a stop to that and created this much-needed festival.
We pride ourselves in constructing a two-day event, (we hope to expand this to 3-days in the future) of inspiring author chats, riveting panel debates, open mic sessions for poets, writing workshops, access to editorial advice, and opportunities to pitch to an agent. leading up to the festival, we host an annual short story and poetry competition, with prizes that assist in enhancing your craft.
Our festival offers networking opportunities, access to booksellers, who provide books by authors that mainstream publishers often forget, to cultural merchandise and accessories for all the family. And of course, we tantalise you with delicious African, Caribbean, and Asian cuisines.
If you’re a reader and not a writer, there’s plenty for you to enjoy.
The Aim of the H&F Writer's Fesitval
- Provide Hammersmith/Fulham residents their own writers festival
- To raise the profile of indie authors within the borough and reach more readers
- To encourage and give a platform to new writers/voices from marginalised backgrounds
- To build our own network with other local authors to mutual benefit
- To provide an alternative to other festivals which do not admit indies
- To demonstrate to other parts of the book trade that indie authors, BAME authors can be a real draw for local audiences
- To create an annual creative, fun event for all the family