Yesterday’s “At Your Own Pace” at the Southbank Centre reminded me why London’s creative scene continues to inspire my writing. Curated entirely by young London creatives, the event moved through three acts—prelude, interlude, outro—that felt remarkably similar to how I structure my novels.
The afternoon collage session, creating album artwork inspired by Little Simz’s aesthetic, resonated deeply with my writing process. Building “The Influencer’s Canvas” involved exactly this kind of assembly—gathering fragments of observations, conversations overheard in nail salons, cultural moments, and piecing them into narrative coherence. Watching others work with visual collage reminded me how much writing is about collecting and curating disparate elements.
The evening’s team games and lyric battles particularly struck me as someone who founded Stories & Surfaces: Contemporary Literature London. There’s something electric about creative community—whether it’s writers workshopping manuscripts or artists competing in spontaneous performances. The collaborative energy feeds individual creativity in ways solitary work simply can’t.
What impressed me most was how seamlessly the event blended different artistic forms. Chess games alongside ambient jungle music, visual art flowing into live performances—it embodied London’s unique ability to support experimental, cross-disciplinary work. Having moved here from Moscow via Beijing, I’ve found this cultural ecosystem particularly nurturing for writers exploring contemporary themes.
Blue Ringed Baby’s ambient jungle and jazz fusion soundtrack created the perfect writing inspiration. Music shapes my creative rhythm profoundly—different projects require different sonic landscapes, and yesterday’s soundscape felt like discovering a new frequency for future work.
The chess element through Knight Club added unexpected depth. Writing novels involves similar strategic thinking—plotting character arcs, managing narrative tension, thinking several moves ahead while remaining responsive to unexpected developments. Watching players navigate both planned strategies and spontaneous responses felt remarkably familiar.
Most significantly, experiencing an event produced entirely by young creatives reinforced something I’ve observed throughout my literary work: the next generation understands instinctively how to create inclusive spaces where different forms of expression can coexist and strengthen each other.
Posted from London, where yesterday’s creative energy still resonates.
— Writer Julia Zolotova
