Word Online

In 2021, we were delighted to collaborate with library services across the South West to host a free virtual tour, Word Online, a continuation of the successful in person tour in 2018-19 Word on Tour.

Across our fifteen stops we hosted nineteen diverse writers working across a range of genres – from spoken word artists to novelists and poets. Over the course of the tour these writers connected with our audience of over 800 people in 10 countries – to share their experiences and find potential new readers. Every one of the 15 library hosts facilitated open and thought-provoking conversations and audience participation was always encouraged.

There was a broad range of event styles, from call and response poetry sessions, to immersive poetry film and previews of not-yet published works. We hosted a series of panel events, one, in Wiltshire, featuring Gaele Sobott, who joined us from Sydney at 3am. Gaele wrapped up the tour with a fascinating conversation on the use of language as a tool for communication and to aid in establishing identity.

Here is a listing with links to all of our writers, so that you can explore their work further

“Wonderful [tour]- Bringing authors into our homes at no cost to ourselves is amazing. We are very lucky. Thank you!.”

Audience member

“Libraries and authors need each other. World Online helped me to not only connect with readers and library enthusiasts but to, hopefully, also encourage them to stay involved by sharing some of my own library stories. At a time when libraries are facing cutbacks, authors can lend their support through initiatives such as this – but it needs people behind the scenes such as at Word Online to make this happen. I look forward to getting invited back for more such events!”

Vaseem Khan, Word Online, Libraries Unlimited

Find out more about the library services involved:

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