Creative Writing at University of Worcester

Join us for the launch of two books by our student Trudi Holland, who won both the Black Pear Press Prize for Fiction and the V.Press Poetry Prize in 2022. Trudi has worked with the editors of the presses and the books are ready to go! We are so proud of Trudi and can't wait to help her celebrate. This will be an excellent end to this semester, so please come and join us. Followed by drinks at the Paul Pry.

Tuesday 2nd May
6.30pm
Hive Library Meeting Room 2

Creative Writing Reading Series with Jamie Thrasivoulou

Monday 13th February
Free Entry
Glass Room, Hive Library
6.30pm

Jamie Thrasivoulou, an award-winning writer, poet, lyricist and workshop facilitator from Derby. He’s a passionate East Midlander who likes nothing more than extolling the virtues of his home county of Derbyshire and its near neighbours, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
Jamie's most recent collection, Our Man, explores aspects of masculinity, mental health, criminality, class, loss and addiction within the climate of neoliberal Britain. Thrasivoulou combines strong imagery, wordplay and a distinct Midlands vernacular to convey the world he writes about. The narrative is layered with charismatic wit, dark humour and wry observation. These poems are grounded in a harsh reality that tears through the curtain of manners to reveal the wildlife lurking behind.
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'Jamie Thrasivoulou is by far one of the most exciting, arresting and socially charged voices to emerge from out the current wave of British poetry. His experiences lend themselves to a grander, wider, narrative often perceived to be demanding answers while never fully wavering from their place of origin. Jamie is a poet of the people and the equality they strive for.'
- Anthony Anaxagorou
'These poems are a beautiful blend of insight and awareness, skilful writing, and the darkness of detail. Jamie gives voice the stories that are often ignored, in a way that dares you to ignore them again, and in a way that compels you not to.'
- Casey Bailey

We are looking forward to welcoming Casey Bailey, Bobby Parker, and Rhianna Levi to read at the Hive on the 29th November.
6.30pm
Glass Room
Free entry.

Join us on Tuesday 8th November, 6.30pm, at the Hive Library Glass Room, to hear guest poets Oz Hardwick and Katy Wareham Morris. Free entry.

Induction week trip to Croome Court. Welcome to all our new students!

The Creative Writing course and Black Pear Press are proud to launch the winner of the Fiction Prize 2021.
3rd May
18.00
Hive Studio

Christy Curtis, winner of the 2021 Creative Writing graduation prize for best fiction story, will be launching her new book, It’s Who You Know. Published by local press, Black Pear, Christy has enjoyed the benefits of the prize, experiencing the editing process, book design, and now the launch of her first published story. Christy studied English Language and Creative Writing as a joint honours degree, graduating with first class honours. Christy is currently working as a Legal Secretary at a law firm to get some experience in the legal sector whilst consider her options of doing a Graduate Diploma in Law and further Bar training. She continues to work on her novel and other writing projects.

More info on Christy here
https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2022/02/08/creative-writing-fiction-prizewinner-2021/

Creative Writing Fiction Prizewinner 2021 Christiana Curtiss talks about the process of editing her first publication with Black Pear Press. The prizewinning novella will be launched 3rd May at the Hive Library, Worcester. How did you feel…

Due to illness this event has been postponed and will be rearranged as an online event. Check back here or on Twitter () for details of the new date and time. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-journey-of-translation-with-novelist-selim-ozdogan-tickets-289355037707

The Journey of Translation with novelist Selim Özdoğan Novelist Selim Özdoğan, with his translators Katy Derbyshire and Ayça Türkoğlu, will discuss bringing his novels into English.

Poetry reading and Q&A with Gregory Leadbetter
15th March
6.30pm
FREE entry

The University of Worcester Creative Writing Reading Series, hosted by Ruth Stacey

This event invites established writers to read and discuss their work at the Hive library.

The events are designed to be free for students, staff, and members of the public, so all members of the community can access exciting, contemporary literary voices in a relaxed setting.

In Gregory Leadbetter’s second poetry collection, Maskwork, mystery, theatre and ritual combine to reveal rather than to disguise. The mask, in these resonant poems, acts as a way of becoming, seeing, and knowing – granting access to altered states and otherworlds hidden within and beyond ourselves. Here, language itself becomes an animating magic, connecting humans to our ecological roots. Gregory Leadbetter is the author of four poetry collections: Maskwork (Nine Arches Press, 2020), The Fetch (Nine Arches Press, 2016), the pamphlet The Body in the Well (HappenStance Press, 2007), and (with photographs by Phil Thomson) Balanuve (Broken Sleep, 2021). His book Coleridge and the Daemonic Imagination (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) won the University English Book Prize 2012. He has published widely on Romantic poetry and thought, twentieth-century and contemporary poetry, and he has written poetry and radio drama for the BBC. Five poems from The Fetch have been set to music for piano and voice by the composer and pianist Eric McElroy. He is Professor of Poetry at Birmingham City University.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-reading-and-qa-with-gregory-leadbetter-tickets-289418106347

Poetry Reading and Q&A with Gregory Leadbetter Poetry reading and Q&A with Gregory Leadbetter

University of Worcester's Creative Writing Course is proud to host Selim Özdoğan in conversation with his translators Katy Derbyshire and Ayça Türkoğlu about the process of bringing his latest novel, 52 Factory Lane, into English.

The subtle and fascinating art of translating novels into English will be discussed at this event. Please reserve a ticket via the Eventbrite link below.
Selim Özdoğan was born in Germany in 1971 and has been publishing his prose since 1995. He has won numerous prizes and grants and taught creative writing at the University of Michigan.
Ayça Türkoğlu is a writer and literary translator based in North London. Her translation interests include the literature of the Turkish diaspora in Germany and minority literatures in Turkey.
Katy Derbyshire translates contemporary German writers including Olga Grjasnowa, Clemens Meyer and Heike Geissler. She teaches literary translation and also heads the V&Q Books imprint.

1st April
6.30pm
Hive Library Studio
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-journey-of-translation-with-novelist-selim-ozdogan-tickets-289355037707

The Journey of Translation with novelist Selim Özdoğan Novelist Selim Özdoğan, with his translators Katy Derbyshire and Ayça Türkoğlu, will discuss bringing his novels into English.

Creative Writing Reading Series event with Claire Walker and Gregory Leadbetter, scheduled to run at the Hive this evening, is postponed due to flooding. A new date will be shared in due course.

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2022/02/01/achieving-the-goal-of-publication/

Achieving the goal of publication! Third year student, Lauren Pizzicaroli, writes about her publishing experience. ‘Just say yes,’ that’s what I’ve learned in my final year at the University of Worcester. Say y…

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2022/02/08/creative-writing-fiction-prizewinner-2021/

Creative Writing Fiction Prizewinner 2021 Christiana Curtiss talks about the process of editing her first publication with Black Pear Press. The prizewinning novella will be launched 3rd May at the Hive Library, Worcester. How did you feel…

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2022/01/28/creative-writing-student-profile-amber-horne/

Creative Writing Student Profile: Amber Horne Creative Writing Student Profile: Amber Horne…”As I approach graduation, I grow increasingly grateful for my time at this University. It has shaped the confident, driven, and tenacious …

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2022/01/31/creative-writing-student-profile-will-hulme/

Creative Writing Student Profile: Will Hulme Nearing the end of my degree, I have to say it has been a fulfilling and wonderful three years indeed! Despite the ongoing pandemic throughout my undergraduate years, lecturers and other contributo…

Our students recently participated in a fantastic writing opportunity with artist Oly Bliss:

"It has been really rewarding to include academic voices into this project. The students brought together a richer discourse to the rest of those taking part. Through their participation in the workshops, they contributed to drawing out more challenging themes and nuance. During the group discussion their active involvement in the group helped fostered an open and inspiring environment."

Listen to BBC Hereford and Worcester to hear Oliver Bliss talking about the launch of exhibition and poetry reading this Saturday, 29th January.

(from 23:07)
Kate Justice - 25/01/2022 - BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0bgbkd3

Thank you to Oliver Bliss for inviting University of Worcester students to the writing workshops based on his incredible, intricate tapestries. Read about it here: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/about/news/academic-blog/a-creative-response-to-gender.aspx

A Creative Response to Gender - University Of Worcester In celebration of International Men's Day, this Academic Blog investigates the Soft Lads creative writing workshops, attended by our Creative Writing students, which innovatively explore notions of masculinity and gender in response to artwork by Oliver Bliss.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nine-arches-poet-daniel-sluman-reading-and-q-a-tickets-198333660317

Nine Arches poet Daniel Sluman Reading and Q & A Nine Arches Press poet Daniel Sluman in conversation about his writing practice, and reading from his latest collection of poems.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/amali-gunasekera-poetry-reading-and-q-a-tickets-198325756677

Amali Gunasekera Poetry Reading and Q & A Bloodaxe poet Amali Gunasekera in conversation about her writing journey, and reading from her latest work.

Creative Writing Open Mic at the Hive Library featuring current students and graduates. Hosted by lecturers Jack McGowan and Ruth Stacey. Brilliant to be able to meet at the Hive again!

The Creative Writing team had an inspiring and fun morning running poetry workshops at New College Worcester Pictured: course leader Dr Jack McGowan being interviewed by star student journalist Amy, who had excellent questions for the team!

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2021/09/22/poetry-society/

Poetry Society The University of Worcester poetry society welcomes everyone that loves to read, write, share and celebrate poetry! No experience or special requirements necessary. Our society is built on an open …

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2021/07/05/international-student-experience/

International Student experience Q&A with Miguel Guerreiro Lourenço from Portugal, who graduated with a first class degree in Creative Writing and Screenwriting in 2019. Miguel is currently working as a Narrative Designer in t…

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2021/06/30/kevin-brookes-new-novel-the-objectors/

Kevin Brooke’s new novel The Objectors The Objectors Three years in the making, The Objectors is due to launch on Sunday, 18th July at 4pm. In these dystopian times, the Young Adult novel with 42 chapters, and set in 2042, will enter th…

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2021/06/29/voices-of-colour/

VOICES OF COLOUR Voices of Colour is a page created to showcase the voices of students from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, whose creativity and unique experiences are often under represented…

https://worcestercreativewriting.com/2021/06/30/a-three-year-journey/

A Three-Year Journey Faye-Alexandra Proctor At the age of 27, I decided to quit my job and start university with a newfound love for writing having used it as a means of escapism after a traumatic incident during the s…

Second graduation of the week! Joyful celebrations for Creative Writing students who studied joint honours with Humanities (English Literature, English Language or History). Congratulations!

Excited to let you know that our first guest writer this semester is the novelist Paul McVeigh, who wrote one of the best novels I read last year: The Good Son.

'Mickey Donnelly is smart, which isn’t a good thing in his part of town. Despite having a dog called Killer and being in love with the girl next door, everyone calls him ‘gay’. It doesn’t help that his best friend is his little sister, Wee Maggie, and that everyone knows he loves his Ma more than anything in the world. He doesn’t think much of his older brother Paddy and really doesn’t like his Da. He dreams of going to America, taking Wee Maggie and Ma with him, to get them away from Belfast and Da. Mickey realises it’s all down to him. He has to protect Ma from herself. And sometimes… you have to be a bad boy to be a good son.'

“Blackly hilarious (with) one of the most endearing and charming characters I’ve come across in a long time.” ELLE Magazine Best of 2015
“Heartbreaking… gripping.” The Guardian “Revelatory and stunning.” Huffington Post
‘Tragic yet funny; sad yet redemptive; this sometimes hilarious novel encapsulates childhood in times of violence. Mickey will steal your heart.’ Irish Examiner

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/author-paul-mcveigh-reading-and-qa-tickets-139474256255

Author Paul McVeigh Reading and Q&A Join us to hear Paul McVeigh read from his novel 'The Good Son' and take part in a Q&A about his writing career and creative practice.