Partners & Patrons

Building new platforms for work to be seen and heard and curating exciting, themed events has made us the leading short story organisation in the UK. Our renowned Apprentice Award mentoring scheme allows us to mentor emerging authors, work supported by the Friends of the Word Factory, Patrons and funders.

Our Partners

Supported using public funds by Arts Council England
Society of Authors

Our partners have included Arts Council England, the British Council, Comma Press, Guillemot Press, English PEN. The universities of Edge Hill, Exeter, Liverpool, London and Warwick. Tangent Films, Digital Culture Network. Regional Development Agencies: Literature Works, New Writing North, Writing West Midlands and Spread the Word. Spoken Ink, The Tablet, the Royal Society of Literature, Small Wonder, Vanguard Editions, Mslexia, the Society of Authors, the Orwell Prize, Lacuna Magazine and Waterstones Piccadilly.

Friends and patrons of the Word Factory

  • David Almond
  • David Andrew
  • Valerie Curtis
  • Margarette Driscoll
  • Peter Kellner
  • Tony Lahert
  • Penelope Rendall
  • Alexei Sayle
  • Dame Antonia Byatt
  • William Palmer
  • Keith Gapp
  • Paul McVeigh
  • Carrie Kania
  • Alison Hitchcock
  • Sophie Haydock
  • Adam Marek
  • Zoe Gilbert
  • Will Cohu
  • Avrina Joss
  • Joanna Sterling
  • Kim Hendry
  • Stef Pixner
  • Abigail Rowland
  • Kate Jefford
  • Sarah Samuels
  • Connie St Louis
  • Miriam Moss
  • Linda Quinn
  • Alison Woodhouse
  • Tamsin Cottis
  • Tamsin Hopkins
  • Matthew Broomfield