Meleri Wyn James – Amani: Cyfrinach dweud stori dda / Get Writing: Secrets to Storytelling
10:00 – 11:00am
Ydych chi’n ysu i ysgrifennu stori neu nofel? Ydych chi’n breuddwydio am weld eich llyfr mewn print? Sgwrs a gweithdy gyda Meleri Wyn James, enillydd y Fedal Ryddiaith yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Llŷn ac Eifionydd a golygydd gyda gwasg y Lolfa./ Are you interested in writing a story or novel? Are you dreaming of seeing your book in print? A talk and workshop with Meleri Wyn James, winner of the Prose Medal at the Llŷn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod and editor at y Lolfa press.
Tickets/Tocynnau are £8.67 including booking fee. Click here to book (link opens in new tab)
Abandon All Shackles: Finding Your Form with Gary Raymond
11:15 – 12:15
Gary Raymond’s latest book uses the template of Dante’s Inferno to chart a personal journey through the history of Welsh literature, from medieval poetry to contemporary experimental writing, from Taliesin to Dylan Thomas. In this workshop, you will explore strategies for storytelling that suit your subject, and discover new ways to frame the story you want to tell. This workshop is ideal for anybody looking for new ways to write memoir, personal or public history, biography, and many other non-fiction projects.
Gary Raymond is author of six books, including three novels, and three non-fiction titles. His latest, Abandon All Hope: A Personal Journey Through the History of Welsh Literature is a unique telling of a national cultural story, using Dante’s Inferno as its template. Gary has over fifteen years experience of teaching creative writing at universities, has a PhD in climate change fiction, and is the presenter of BBC Radio Wales’ Arts Show.
Tickets are £8.67 including booking fee. Click here to book (link opens in new tab)
Society of Authors – Open Meeting
12:30PM – 13:30
You’re a published writer (traditionally or self-published) but maybe you still feel isolated and are not sure where to turn. You’ve perhaps heard of the Society of Authors (SoA) but wonder what it has to offer you? Come along to an open meeting with members of the Monmouth SoA group. A chance to meet local writers in a friendly and informal atmosphere and find about their experience.
The Society of Authors is the UK Trade Union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators. It is 12,500 members strong. Members have the opportunity to meet in local groups, of which SoA Monmouth is one, welcoming people from across Monmouthshire and in the Welsh borders.
Tickets are free but pre registration is required. Click here to register (link open in new tab)
LGBTQ+ Writing Workshop with JJ Lambert
13:45 – 15:15PM
A relaxed space for LGBTQ+ folk to try new ideas. We’ll use prompts around community and resilience to inspire individual and group creative writing, whether you just want to give creative writing a try, or you’re a more experienced writer looking for some fresh prompts in good company. All LGBTQ+ people very welcome – please feel free to contact me via my social media if there’s anything you’d like me to be aware of to help you get the most from this session.
JJ Lambert co-facilitates the Sit Down and Write online writing group for marginalised writers. She’s been published by Lucent Dreaming, The Cardiff Review and The Welsh Agenda, amongst others, and her first novel – Found Wanting – a queer YA set in mid-Wales – was published this year by Black Bee Books. She’s passionate about expanding access to writing events, and steam trains.
She can be found on Bluesky @jjlambert.bsky.social and Instagram @jjlambertwrites
Tickets – £8.00 (plus booking fee). Click here to book. (Link opens in new tab)
Fantastic Forms Poetry Workshop with Sarah Perrson
15:30 – 17:00
Ever wondered how to write using traditional forms? Join Sarah Persson, as she introduces you to sonnets, villanelles, haikus and tankas in a friendly and creative workshop. We’ll have templates for you to use as you write your poem too. Or, perhaps you have a poem which isn’t quite working. Why not bring it along and see if traditional form can help your drafting process.
Poet and educator, Sarah Persson has been published in Poetry Wales, Mslexia magazine and Nation Cymru; she has performed her poetry internationally. Sarah is a champion of other writers too, both as a founder of These3Streams Arts Festival and host of the First Draft radio show. Sarah has an M.A in Creative Writing.
@sarahperssonauthor (insta and Bluesky)
Tickets – £8.00 (plus booking fee). Click here to book.
Shredder Poetry Workshop
18:00 – 19:30
Please note: This event takes place at Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny, NP7 5UD.
Shredder Poetry workshops are aimed at getting one’s negative thoughts written down on paper and turning the words into a poem or a prose. There’s no fixed theme so the poetry or prose can be on anything the writer wishes to express. It could be about the weather or politics or even something which has happened to the writer in recent times, and they want to get rid of their negative thoughts. Once the writer has written a piece of work then they can download and print off an image that represents what their poem or prose is all about. For example, if someone is writing about a political leader then they can print off an image of that leader. Then comes the fun part every writer can get rid of their words and images in the paper shredder, which is very satisfying and makes one feel, that some weight has lifted off their shoulders. Every writer has an opportunity to perform their pieces of shredder poetry or prose in front of a live audience if they wish to do so.
Stephen Treharne is a poet and writer from Carmarthen and has had many poems published in books, magazines, and online websites. He was also the poet in residency at the Fringe Festival Tranas Sweden in 2022 and has been a guest poet at the Landed festival and Beyond the border storytelling festival at Llandeilo. Stephen has also been a guest poet in other spoken word open mic venues across South and West Wales and has a passion for writing poetry on the countryside and the industrial landscape. Stephen is hoping to publish his first book in the coming year which will be about his time in police custody as an advocate and as an appropriate adult.
Tickets are £5.42 including booking fee. Click here to book (link opens in new tab)