Royal Holloway’s vibrant creative writing community took center stage at this year’s Bedford Square Review reading, held in central London.
The event was a huge success, with a packed room of alumni, students, staff, and guests coming together to celebrate the publication of the latest edition of the Bedford Square Review – our annual anthology of writing by MA Creative Writing graduates.
This year’s edition showcases the work of two cohorts – the 2023 and 2024 graduates – and features a wide range of genres and styles, including poetry, short stories, novel extracts, life writing, and experimental prose. The event offered attendees a glimpse into their work, as alumni read excerpts from their pieces and spoke about their creative journeys.
Published online in partnership with Scratch Books, the Bedford Square Review reflects the diversity and imagination of Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing graduates.
As novelist and Royal Holloway Creative Writing lecturer Will Boast writes in his introduction to this year’s edition:
“We’ve been thrilled to work with writers from places near and far – Hong Kong, Russia, and Nigeria, to name a few – and those active in time-honoured and innovative forms alike. You’ll find in these pages deeply researched historical fiction, bold works of fantasy, up-to-the-moment contemporary realism, searching life writing, imaginative stories for younger readers, and daring experiments in poetic form.
There’s no ‘house style’ at RHUL, just an excitement and an openness for what our students bring to our workshops... It takes real courage to first set down that opening paragraph, that key chapter, that heartbreakingly raw stanza – and doubly as much to then seek to make it even better.”
The Bedford Square Review stands as a testament to the talent and perseverance of our graduates. The result is a publication that is both ambitious and accessible, offering readers a chance to experience the innovative work emerging from our Creative Writing MA programme. All previous editions of the Bedford Square Review are available to read online, providing a rich resource for anyone interested in contemporary creative writing – from prospective students to literary enthusiasts and industry professionals.
We are proud to support the next generation of writers, and the Bedford Square Review continues to be a platform for bold, original voices from Royal Holloway.
