Head of Literature and Spoken Word
Application Deadline: 27 September 2026
Department: Literature and Spoken Word
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Southbank, London
Compensation: Up to £70,000
Description
The Opportunity
Join Europe’s largest arts centre and lead the national conversation. As Head of Literature and Spoken Word you won't just programme a season – we need you to shape culture.
We are looking for an exceptional creative leader to curate and deliver over 150 extraordinary events each year. From electrifying live poetry and interdisciplinary performance to high-profile talks, debates, and major cultural moments, you will steer a year-round artistic programme where words transform, challenge, and inspire.
You will lead our strategy to redress the national decline in reading, help make writers careers sustainable and position Southbank Centre at the heart of the national conversation.
You’ll take the lead of our world-renowned annual London Literature Festival (co-curated this year with Dua Lipa) and pioneer high-impact partnerships, such as our current work with Goalhanger to produce The Rest Is Fest.
You’ll build powerful alliances across publishing, agency, and literary networks. You will nurture ground-breaking, diverse new voices and work with our Audiences team to ensure our digital content strategy reaches global audiences.
Who You Are
You are a dynamic champion of literature in all its forms, driven by an ambitious vision for public engagement. You believe passionately that literature and spoken word belong to everyone, possess the power to transcend artistic disciplines, and must speak directly to the urgent, complex world we live in today.
Key Responsibilities
- To deliver the Literature and Spoken Word Strategy, which addresses three key societal and sector needs – reversing reading decline, supporting author sustainability and driving public discourse – through the year‑round literature and spoken word programme and related initiatives.
- To lead on curating the literature and spoken word programme across the Southbank Centre site and online, including the London Literature Festival, own‑promotions, co‑promotions, new commissions and rentals.
- To contribute to the wider artistic life of the Southbank Centre, fully engaging with the artistic planning process, forging collaborative projects with art‑form leads across music, performance and dance, creative technology and visual arts.
Benefits
As well as working at one of London's most popular and exciting sites the successful candidate will also benefit from the following:
- A min 5% pension contribution (going up to 9% depending on employee contribution), from day 1 of employment
- 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Hybrid working model (3 days office working, 2 days from home)
- Health cash plan benefits
- Enhanced sick pay
- Enhanced family leave benefits
- Up to 30% discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors
- Staff ticket offers for SC events
- Free entry to Hayward Gallery
- Free/discounted entry with other reciprocal organisations
- Free staff yoga
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Head of Literature and Spoken Word in London employer: Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that thrives on creativity and collaboration. As the UK's largest arts centre, it provides unique opportunities for professional growth within a dynamic environment, where your contributions directly enhance the safety and experience of millions of visitors each year. With a competitive benefits package and a commitment to public engagement, working here means being part of a transformative journey in one of Europe's leading cultural destinations.
