Rebecca Lucy Taylor (a.k.a Self Esteem) is curating a day at the 2025 London Literature Festival. Find all the details below.
This year’s event, which marks the 18th edition, is scheduled to take place at the Southbank Centre in the capital between Tuesday October 21 and Sunday November 2.
The Rotherham singer-songwriter and actor will appear in conversation with author, screenwriter and columnist Dolly Alderton. They’ll talk about Taylor’s literary debut book, A Complicated Woman, out on October 30 (pre-order here).
It shares its name with Self Esteem’s latest studio album, which was released in April. The Mercury Prize-nominated musician is set to discuss her lyrics, songwriting process and personal experiences.
This will be followed by a night of music and poetry alongside multi-disciplinary artists Tom Rasmussen, Marged, Travis Alabanza, Seraphina Simone, Pam Ayres, and more to be announced. Free events will be held throughout the Clore Ballroom on the day.
“I’m honoured to be curating at this year’s London Literature Festival,” said Taylor in a statement. “I’ve never really believed there to be rigid lines between songwriting, art, poetry and prose.”
She continued: “I’ve always longed to be free from genre and labels, not just in my own work, but also in the art I’m drawn to. I want it all because I am greedy, and I’m no longer going to apologise for that.
“I am so excited to explore this through my involvement with the London Literature Festival, alongside a host of multidisciplinary artists I admire and am inspired by.”
Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, added: “The Southbank Centre is a place where culture makers come to congregate, collaborate and create their best work, and we’re delighted that Rebecca Lucy Taylor, a.k.a Self Esteem will bring her extraordinary vision to the curation of events at this year’s London Literature Festival.
It has been such a pleasure to explore my work in a longer form and without the pressure to put it to a melody. Please enjoy this glass half empty exploration of self obsession from the pen of someone who never ended up going to uni. Thank you Brazen for your patience with me!
— Self Esteem (@SELFESTEEM___) July 2, 2025
“A key highlight in the capital’s cultural calendar, the London Literature Festival promises something for everyone, bringing unbeatable cultural experiences to audiences with a line-up that spans writers at the forefront of international literature – such as Chris Kraus and Malala Yousafzai – through to events which offer a platform to those at the very start of their careers.”
Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, said: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with one of my favourite artists, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, a.k.a Self Esteem. Rebecca is a masterful chronicler of what it is to be a young woman today; with her unmistakably frank and funny lyricism, Rebecca’s writing acts as a striking reminder of the galvanising power of great literature.”
He added: “Right across the festival programme, we celebrate a range of extraordinary women writers and cultural figures, from Sayaka Murata and Zadie Smith, to Reese Witherspoon launching an exciting new collaboration with Harlan Coben.
“We’re proud to continue our dedication to new and emerging talent, with our long-standing partnership with Creative Future’s Writers’ Day, the annual Debut London Literature and New Poets Collective showcases, supporting the next generation of writers and creators.”
You can find more information about ‘Self Esteem Presents’ at the London Literature Festival, along with ticket information, here. For Further details on the wider 2025 programme, visit here.
Speaking about her forthcoming book previously, Taylor wrote: “It has been such a pleasure to explore my work in a longer form and without the pressure to put it to a melody.
“Please enjoy this glass half empty exploration of self obsession from the pen of someone who never ended up going to uni.”
Last month saw Self Esteem bring her theatrical ‘A Complicated Woman’ live show to Glastonbury 2025.
In a round-up of the Park Stage slot, NME wrote: “From opening with an eerie nod to A Handmaid’s Tale to getting the crowd moving with tongue-in-cheek new single ‘69’, Self Esteem‘s set was even more ornate than you might expect at Glasto, and not one to be forgotten in a hurry. When the Pyramid is ready for Taylor, there’s no doubt she’ll be able to fill it.”
In May, Self Esteem won the Visionary Award at The Ivors 2025. “It means everything,” she told NME of the honour at the ceremony.
Taylor added: “Not to start going on about women like I always do, but people don’t think women write songs. It still gets questioned. People think I’ve got writers’ camps and all these things.
“No judgement if you do that, but it’s the art and I take ages over it. It ruins my life and all I do is try to create that art. I need to.” You can watch the full interview in the video above.
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