News Archive

Our Writers at the Sharp End

Francesca Kay: Creative Writing with Young Children

Francesca has been writing poetry for and with children for over 20 years. She works in schools, libraries and museums, sharing her enthusiasm for poetry and words, and showing children different ways to write their own poems. Her poems for children appear in various anthologies published by Pont Books, and her Poetry Writing Guide for Teachers is published by Scholastic.

Graham Hartill: Creative Writing in Health and Social Care

Graham has lived mostly in Wales for the last thirty years. Poet and workshop facilitator, he has taught and presented his work in numerous universities and institutions throughout the UK and the USA and was a co-founder of Lapidus, the UK-wide society for the promotion of the literary arts in personal development and healthcare. He now works as writer-in-residence at HMP Parc.

Anita Flowers: Creative Writing with Disaffected Youth

Anita’s workshops have become a vehicle for groups and individuals to explore and express themselves. She often uses the title Expression Sessions: this removes any fear from those who feel they are unable to write anything worthwhile, or for those who feel intimidated by the word creativity. Workshops offered stimulate Autobiographical writing, Reminiscence, Memoirs, Self Esteem and Writing for profit.

Leon Charles: Creative Writing with Ethnic Communities in South Wales.

Performance rap poet and storyteller, Leon aims to rejuvenate the learning process and inspire better inter-cultural relationships through rap, music, poetry and storytelling, by means of performance and workshops on African, Welsh Afro-Caribbean and British culture.

Tony Frazer: Print on Demand

Tony Frazer lives in Exeter and is the editor of Shearsman Magazine and publisher of Shearsman Books, one of the UK’s busiest independent poetry publishers, putting out 20-25 titles each year. In addition to his editorial activities, Tony translates contemporary German and Latin American poetry.

Phil Forder, Caspar Walsh and Louise Richards: Taking Creative Writing into Prisons in South Wales.

Caspar Walsh first encountered prison through his visits to his father. He soon followed in his footsteps and began his own journey toward crime. Before long he was arrested and given the opportunity to make a new life for himself. Caspar found himself involved with prisons as a voluntary worker early on in his rehabilitation. His skill as a writer and a teacher led him to work with disaffected youth, young offenders and prisoners throughout the country. Caspar has been writing since he was 7 years old and over 30 years later his passion continues with his work as a professional writer, director and workshop leader. His focus is on personal and professional development through creative writing.

Phil Forder is currently a writer-in-residence at HMP Parc and a lecturer on Education at Bridgend College. This year he wrote the novel ’Bang-Up for Men: The Smell of Prison’. Phil also runs the publishing house Starborn Books and works as a freelance sculptor, his most recent commission being ’The Mabinogi Panels’ at Neuadd-y-Dderwen’ Cilgerran. He has lived in Wales for 33 years and is married with one son.

Louise Richards is currently working as Reader in Residence in the five Welsh Prisons as part of a Paul Hamlyn funded Free with Words project. The main aim of the project is to encourage reading for pleasure amongst the prison population and involves: building partnerships with local library authorities and other interested organisations; setting up and running Reading Groups and Storybook Dads, inviting a variety of authors, poets and librarians in to help broaden individual’s experiences of books, reading and writing. Louise’s previous employment has included work as Bookstart Co-ordinator for Cardiff, Children’s Librarian for the Vale of Glamorgan, a variety of Community and Schools Arts Residencies and Bookselling.