Hatch'd Q & A with Writing East Midlands
Posted on 6th January 2012
WEM’s Project Co-ordinator, Aimee, talks to Hatch’d Magazine about exciting upcoming projects in 2012.
HM: How did WEM get started?
AW: Writing East Midlands was born from a feeling that there was a real need to support writer development and create opportunities for writers across the region. WEM was set up by the Arts Council to do just this, and to encourage more investment in writing. Writing and literature has often been seen as the ‘poor relation’ compared to the support received by other art forms, and WEM works to counteract this, to promote just how important writing actually is and make sure it is recognised and celebrated. In just three years, we’ve made a big impact on literature across the region.
HM: Tell us a bit about WEM? What do you do?
AW: We’re here to help all writers at different stages of their careers. We connect writers and create opportunities for them to develop their craft. We work with partners to develop an extensive range of projects and events. Our work is really varied, and no day is the same. We run the annual East Midlands Book Award, celebrating the best published book by a writer from the region, with a brilliant cash prize of £1000. This really highlights the talent the East Midlands has to offer, and we were delighted when the judges chose to award the first prize in 2011 to the fantastic Leicestershire poet Mark Goodwin, for his book Shod published by Nine Arches Press.
One of our big projects is Write Here, our Writers in Residence programme of excellent residencies across the region. Residencies have been at hospitals, theatres, schools, libraries, museums and art galleries, including Nottingham Contemporary. At Lakeside Arts Centre for instance, Peter Rumney and Ruth Lewis Jones worked with children from Nottingham City schools to improve their writing, while enjoying the exhibitions in the gallery. Through these residencies, writers who want to gain experience of working in different settings are given the opportunity to shadow more experienced writers, thus gaining confidence and different skills. This sort of work has been really rewarding and great for all the writers and partners involved.
WEM also runs writer development services, including our Critical Read Scheme, in partnership with The Literary Consultancy, providing writers with an in depth report on their work and where it fits within the market place. We’ve run a successful mentoring programme since the beginning, pairing writers up with a suitable mentor for a year to work on an extended piece of work, such as a novel. These services are of great importance to emerging writers developing their talent, discovering their voice and finding their way to publication.
To read the full interview please see here
