Creative writing is about 80 percent hard work and about 20 percent creativity.
That might seem counter intuitive. After all, the subject is called ‘creative’ writing and not ‘hard work’ writing. But according to Elizabeth Hawkins, founder of the City Lit Children’s Writing courses, it’s very much the case.
“It’s having the skills at your fingertips, and just getting down there and writing,” she told us. Having taught at City Lit for decades, she saw all kinds of writers come through the door. But she often couldn’t tell who would take the next step to become a published writer.
Some arrived with notebooks already full. Others came very nervous, with just a single idea. But those that succeeded in getting published had one thing in common: commitment.
The application date for this year’s ‘Malorie Blackman Scholarships for Unheard Voices’ is fast approaching. These give three budding creative writers £1000 each in City Lit Creative Writing courses.
In honour of this, we’re doing a deep dive into three award-winning writers who honed their craft at City Lit. Before they were household names, they were students, learning how to shape stories just like those starting out now.
WATCH: Founder of City Lit's Children's Writing Course Elizabeth Hawkins talking about her
Malorie Blackman OBE
The namesake of the Scholarships.
Malorie Blackman was walking down Drury Lane one day, when she first saw a sign for a City Lit. At that time, she was just looking for something creative to do; something different from her day job working in an office in the City. She actually tried her hand at acting before settling on writing.
Malorie took a wide range of writing courses at City Lit, from plays to sci-fi. But it was on a Writing for Children course – with tutor Elizabeth Hawkins – that she found her feet.
“She was a remarkable writer,” Elizabeth told City Lit, “and she was very determined. That sort of determination was really phenomenal.”
One of the highlights of my working year is the City Lit Scholarships...It’s about encouraging people to go, “Yeah, [creative writing] is for me!"
She served as Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015 and her acclaimed series Noughts and Crosses was adapted into a drama for BBC One. She also received an OBE in 2008 for her services to children’s literature.
Perhaps the crowning achievement for Malorie though, was becoming a City Lit Fellow and Patron of the School of Humanities & Science (there’s no bias in that statement whatsoever!) As Patron, she founded the Scholarship programme, reading every entry and choosing the winners personally.
Anna Burns
Like Malorie, Belfast-born Anna Burns didn’t come to City Lit thinking, I’m going to be a novelist. She initially came for singing and dancing courses. But somewhere in-between classes she found writing.
At City Lit, Anna honed her writing style. Keeley Street was a place to experiment and discover what kind of stories she really wanted to tell. And it worked.
Anna has now published three novels: No Bones, Little Constructions and Milkman. Milkman, in particular, captured the hearts of readers. It won the Booker Prize in 2018, the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2019, and the International Dublin Literary Award in 2020.
Not bad for someone who started out looking for a dance class.
Speaking of her time at City Lit, where she’s now a Fellow, she said, “I gained so much during the time I attended classes at Keeley Street.”
I thank the staff, the tutors and the building itself for the wonderful opportunities and benefits I received during my time [at City Lit].
Andrea Levy
Andrea Levy had a day job as a graphic designer when she first came to City Lit. She was looking for a creative outlet, so picked up writing as a hobby.
At first, she was very nervous to share her work. It was “terrifying and thrilling at the same time” she told us back in 2016. Her nerves weren’t helped by the fact that she was sharing the class with Malorie Blackman, who by then had already written multiple books.
Soon Andrea’s confidence began to increase though. As she shared more of her work with the class, she realised that people were enjoying reading it. She started to find her voice, her knack for storytelling and who she was going to be as a writer.
WATCH: Andrea Levy sitting down with City Lit Principal Mark Malcomson in 2016 to talk about her time at City Lit.
She leaned into her heritage, having been born in London to Jamaican parents. She wrote about Jamaican identity and what it meant to move between cultures in Britain. These were stories that hadn’t been told enough.
Her fourth novel Small Island was a huge hit. It won the Whitbread Book of the Year, the Orange Prize (now Women's Prize) and the Commonwealth Writers Prize and ended up in bookshelves all over the world.
Andrea became a City Lit Fellow in 2016. “‘I can’t express how strongly enough, how important City Lit was in my career,” she told us back then. “My two hours a week at City Lit has made me into a best-selling international author.”
Andrea Levy passed away in 2019, aged 62. She is deeply missed, and her words and story will always remain part of City Lit.
Your Turn
The next great writing story could be yours. Whether you’ve been scribbling for years or you’re just starting out, City Lit can help you springboard your career in writing, just as it did for Malorie, Anna and Andrea.
Our creative writing courses don’t just teach you writing and story crafting techniques. They give you confidence, access to world class tutors and the knowledge to navigate the tricky publishing world.
The 'Malorie Blackman Scholarships for Unheard Voices' are still open, with your chance to win £1000 in creative writing courses. Applications close on 8th February 2026.
Or you can simply book a place on a class and begin right away.
Study Creative Writing at City Lit
Learn the art of creative writing from published writers in a range of courses designed to support and encourage your creativity.
