LETTERS LIVE to Hold Special Women's Prize Show at the Royal Albert Hall

Letters Live is set to return to the Royal Albert Hall next year for a special one-off event on Wednesday 6 March, in aid of the Women’s Prize Trust. This announcement comes after Letters Live’s recent sold-out event at the Hall which marked Letters Live’s 10th anniversary.

Known for its engaging performances of remarkable letters from around the world and across history, Letters Live will join forces with the Women’s Prize to create an unforgettable evening of storytelling, showcasing the art and power of the written word. Each Letters Live event is unique, as the entire list of performers is kept secret from the audience until the moment they take to the stage. Last week’s performers included Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Angelique Kidjo, Stephen Fry, Kae Tempest, Woody Harrelson, Minnie Driver, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Will Sharpe and Gillian Anderson.

The letters read are unpredictable, varied and always memorable. Where some express anger or pain, others delight the audience with wisdom and humour. Over the years, letters written by iconic characters such as David Bowie, Marge Simpson, Mohandas Gandhi, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Kurt Vonnegut, Charlotte Bronte, James Baldwin, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, John Steinbeck, Madonna, Tom Hanks, Dorothy Parker and Che Guevara have been read, alongside hidden gems from lesser-known figures.

The Women’s Prize Trust is the registered charity that enriches society by creating equitable opportunities for women in the world of books and beyond. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world, with winners including Barbara Kingsolver, Ruth Ozeki, Susanna Clarke and Maggie O’Farrell. The charity has also launched for 2024 the inaugural Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, to spotlight women’s voices as thought-leaders, change-makers and subject matter experts, and runs social impact programmes for readers and writers from under-represented backgrounds.

Jamie Byng, co-producer of Letters Live, said, “Partnering with the Women’s Prize felt like a natural fit for Letters Live, given what this important prize has done to champion literacy, and to challenge the patriarchy. And to be returning to the Royal Albert Hall, a venue that provided such a magnificent home for Letters Live on five previous occasions, is always a thrilling prospect. We are confident that this will be one of our most memorable shows ever.”

Matthew Todd, Director of Programming and Engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, said, “Both Letters Live and the Women’s Prize are renowned for championing exceptional writing, and this partnership promises to inspire, entertain and enlighten attendees. It has been a privilege for the Hall to host Letters Live since 2019, and we are delighted that this event, which celebrates some of the most influential women in the literary world, will be held in this historic venue.” 

Claire Shanahan, Executive Director of the Women’s Prize Trust, said, “Men and women have been writing letters to each other since the first one was penned in 500BC. Fast forward to 2024, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Letters Live to champion women’s voices next March - marking Women's History Month and International Women's Day. The event will be instrumental in raising funds for our outreach work with readers and writers from minority backgrounds – and an uplifting and inspiring evening in the majestic Royal Albert Hall. We cannot wait.”

Letters Live have previously produced three shows on International Women’s Day over the years, with the last production taking place in March 2020 at the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre, London. These shows featured countless pieces of correspondence by women, to women, about women – letters overflowing with wisdom, fury, love, and humour. The upcoming date will be the first International Women’s Day-related event that Letters Live will have produced and held at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Tickets are available for Friends and Patrons of the Royal Albert Hall on Thu 11 May at 10am, with general on-sale from Fri 12 May at 10am.

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