London will host a songwriting week May 18-22 with a wide range of events, mixing the creative with career help. Speakers and performers include Tom Robinson, Sir Tim Rice and Mike Read, with presentations from associations such as the Musicians’ Union, Basca, the Music Publisher’s Association and others. The events look promising, with subjects such as “writing to an A&R brief”, “composing for advertising and games” and a talk from friend David Stark of SongLink (photo) on the stories behind the songs. What’s more, most events are free but you do have to sign up. For details, visit London Songwriters Week.