Writers' surgeries for budding authors

Cheltenham-based writer Sara-Jane Arbury will hold a series of workshops for budding writers in libraries across the County after Herefordshire Council secured funding from Arts Council England for a new project.

As part of ‘Herewords - Writer in Residence’ Sara-Jane will work for 50 days throughout the year promoting the art of creative writing.

Sara-Jane, a performance poet, writer and director of ‘voices off’ events at Cheltenham Literature Festival, will be supported by Herefordshire Libraries’ Reader and Development Officer Brenda Read-Brown.

The first writers’ surgery sessions will be held at Kington Library, on December 8, from 2.30pm, followed by a second event at Leominster Library, on December 21, from 7.30pm.
 
“Herefordshire Libraries is delighted to have secured funding from Arts Council England for a Writer in Residence for the County,” said Brenda Read-Brown.

“We received many excellent applications for the job.

“Sara-Jane Arbury has run workshops and creative writing classes with many different groups of people, and has had several writing residencies before.

“Her first two projects will be with young men in a youth club in Kington, helping them to write hip-hop lyrics, and with a small number of adult men working for Sun Valley, using creative writing as a motivator for improving literacy skills.

“Early next year, Sara-Jane will work with older people in Age Concern coffee morning clubs, and with a group of young pupil librarians and budding writers at Minster College, Leominster.

“We are still developing plans for the other projects, but we hope that these will include some work with local festivals, with other schools, youth clubs, and sports teams, and some involvement in RaW launch events.”

Sara-Jane will also write original pieces, poetry and prose, on the theme of life in Herefordshire.