The Lancashire Writing Hub

My time as an in house volunteer at the Lancashire Writing Hub (LWH) is coming to an end. It has been an enjoyable and informative experience that I’m glad I undertook. I have written a few reviews and interviews for them (links below) and also had the opportunity to organise a live literature night called Word Soup for which we had a cinema related theme of Words on Screen. Word Soup is a regular night at the Continental that offers local and national writers a chance to perform their work and watch others’. A great opportunity to get some feedback and also exposure.

When I started volunteering and Jane Brunning (LWH Writing Coordinator) first suggested I curate one of the nights I was excited but also a little nervous. I have experience organising art events, having worked with Ric Michael on the LIFE festival, but I’d never hosted anything before. Putting together the line up was fun work as it meant contacting various artists and then crossing my fingers that they would be free for the night. Unfortunately a few weren’t but we did end up with an absolutely storming line up.

On the night itself I was unusually calm setting up the room, my pre-event nerves hadn’t quite warmed up. The artists started arriving and we sat down for a bit of food and a chat, all lovely people. Then 8 o’clock start time rolled round and I felt my stomach drop and the nerves kick in. Getting up on stage to welcome everyone was scary as hell but the audience were lovely and I only forgot to mention one thing.

The night went really well, with performances from Philip Burton, Sian Cummins, Norman Hadley and Mark Mace Smith. Plus the open mic slot which threw up a few gems. Bill Orrick provided some excellent music (and gave me a free CD, top man). Overall, my first time curating a live literature night was a resounding success, if I do say so myself, and I had a cracking time. Next Word Soup is October the 19th if anyone is in the Preston area.

A little bit about the LWH;

“The Lancashire Writing Hub is an online and offline writing and literature development project. We deliver live literature events, performance opportunities, and panel discussions across Lancashire, and run a writing portal offering local and national information about writing opportunities, alongside writing and writer’s development opportunities. We offer online and offline volunteering and publishing opportunities. The Lancashire Writing Hub is a They Eat Culture project.”

Links to my writing for LWH;

Cathy Crabb is a fantastic playwright who wrote the excellent The Roots of Love. She’s absolutely lovely and you can follow her on twitter @CathyCrabb. Review here.

Grace O’Leary won a Forever Manchester award for her play What Colour Was Her Blood? I interviewed her about her writing. The play is being performed on October the 14th at the Continental.

Tom Fletcher is a novelist from Manchester who wrote a horror novel The Leaping. Review here. Follow him on twitter @fellhouse.

A review of the Preston Tringe Special Word Soup.