Head of Literature and Spoken Word

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.

Please download the attached Job Description for a full overview of this role's responsibilities. If you are viewing on a job board, please paste the following URL into your browser to find the original advert: careers.southbankcentre.co.uk

We are working with Achates as our recruitment partner on this appointment. If you would like to arrange an informal, confidential conversation about the role before submitting an application you can do so by reaching out to Vicki Grace, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change on vicki@achates.org.uk.

The annual salary stated is based on the Full-Time Equivalent (40 hours per week). If the job is part-time, the weekly hours will be stated within the advert.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on the closing date for the job posting.

We endeavour to keep job adverts open for at least two weeks for prospective applicants to apply. However, if we receive a high volume of applications for a role, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible to ensure consideration for shortlisting.

Please note, applications sent via Email or 3rd party agencies will not be considered.

Need reasonable adjustments? Please contact us so we can help make the application process accessible to you. Be sure to include the job you are applying for and your full name.

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

• 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