Six-Month Long Hear Me Now LGBTQ+ And Allies Creative Writing Project Announced

A six-month creative writing project on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and allies is continuing across the Isle of Wight this summer.

Hear Me Now sees Island writers of all abilities encouraged to take part in a series of free writing workshops, inspiring walks and inclusive talks organised to grow a supportive Isle of Wight writing community.

Funded by Arts Council England, Hear Me Now is hosted by Anmarie Bowler, Editor/Founder of Brevity, the Isle of Wight’s Literary Handbill, in collaboration with StoneCrabs Theatre.

Brevity, is a bi-monthly 'zine' that features flash fiction and poetry submissions of 500-words or less from Island writers.

The project aims to inspire local writers, urging them to find and celebrate their unique writers’ voices within the safe, welcoming spaces of the workshops, walks and talks.

Along with one-to-one mentoring, participants will also have a chance to connect as a writing community.

Short work created by participants will be considered for publication in the print edition of Brevity or on the Brevity website.

Writing Workshops, Inspiring Walks, Inclusive Talks

Anmarie Bowler and award-winning short story writer, novelist and lecturer Emily Bullock led the first workshop in Ryde in April.

George Budden, a London-based photographer who recently completed a creative residency at Dimbola House led an inspirational walk entitled Queer in Nature on the West Wight in May.

Author of the queer Age of Sail Leeward and The Devil to Pay Katie Daysh will lead a “Writing Historical Fiction” workshop in Newport on 8 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm.

On 13 July, from 11am to 2pm Island creatives Tracy Mikich and Teresa Grimaldi will lead a hands-on print workshop at Boojum & Snark in Sandown.

Participants will design and print a one-off Hear Me Now broadsheet featuring short-form work they’ve written for the project.

The unique publication will be made available to the public during Pride, which takes place from  19-21 July.

On Sunday 21 July, Niall Moorjanni, a non-binary, neurodiverse Scottish-Indian writer and storyteller will lead a Hear Me Now workshop/talk at Ryde Library.

There are also plans for a walk/talk at The National Trust’s Mottistone Manor and Gardens, where participants will be inspired by the lives of mid-20th century architects and partners Paul Paget and John Seely who worked together to restore Mottistone Manor.

If you would like to learn more about the Hear Me Now project, email Caroline Diamond at [email protected] or you can register for the free workshops/walks/talks via the Brevity website.