Here’s what our Poetry judge Dr Meena Kandasamy is looking for when reading for the 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. Enter the Prize by 1 July to have your poems read by her: wasafiri.org/new-writing-pr…

Been meaning to do a ✍️ writing thread for a while of all the helpful places you might go to for help/support/money. Here's what I found invaluable:

Looking forward to running this absolutely FREE Animal Slam children’s poetry workshop!
Hanwell Community Library on Saturday 25th May 11:30am-1pm, ages 7-11
Book here: thewritetrail.co.uk/what-s-on
Hanwell Community Library is a short walk from Hanwell station (Elizabeth line)

My news. Very sad to be leaving Picador; excited to be joining Summit/Simon & Schuster

Join us for an evening of recognising and celebrating the vital and radical work of small presses in the UK and Ireland.

17 April, Foyles. See you there?

If you’re writing for children or young adults & you’re ready to share your work with agents, keep me in mind. I’m looking for a fabulous new writer to work with. Open to anything a young person might love. Picture books, 5+, non-fiction, MG or YA. amheath.com

The Role of the Writer: #ArundhatiRoy

I was honoured earlier to have been invited onto BBC Radio London - ⁦Riz Lateef⁩ show. Listen to me waffling on in the face of a very generous (patient) Riz Lateef - around 2hr 37min mark #FindingSophie
Also. You’ll learn a new word!
- BBC Sounds bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…

Read my new play out loud with my director this week. (I’m a shit actor) but on the last 2 pages she started bawling. Didn’t stop for a good 5 minutes. Very gratifying.

Fellowships to Palestinian scholars and artists affected by war in Gaza. Please circulate widely
Deadline for application 21 May
xx.nz/ekuKq

First Preview Performance.

Wish us luck!

#Silence
Tara Theatre
Queen's Theatre Hornchurch

The deadline for the next round of Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP 20) closes in a week!

I've had a bit of luck with applications recently so I'm happy to speak to any writers applying in this round - just DM me :)

artscouncil.org.uk/dycp

🎙️ Interview with the Cast

Asif Khan tells us what he hopes audiences will take away after seeing SILENCE

See SILENCE yourself Queen's Theatre Hornchurch Curve The Rep and HOME this April

🗓️ 6 Apr — 4 May
🎟️ taratheatre.com/whats-on/silen…

So, so proud to be on this inaugural Women's Prize list of non-fiction by 16 amazing women, many of whose work I have read & loved. Such breadth of storytelling, and grateful to have Code Dependent among them. It’s out March 28, & I hope it makes you think about AI differently..

In order for me to write poetry that isn't political
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent.

- Marwan Makhoul

If you're in London on Easter Sunday & fancy doing something different but creative & colourful why not come along to my monthly crafternoon for adults?

This month's activity has a spring theme. Tickets are donation-based, 4-6pm 😀🌈 eventbrite.com/e/mindful-craf…

This looks fab!

What's your favourite read of the year so far?

Join me on 17th April, at Altrincham Library . I'll be discussing, Still Lives. Renard Press
followed by a creative writing workshop. Free but registration required.eventbrite.co.uk/e/author-talk-…

Our new Editor & Publishing Director kicks off our 40th anniversary year with our spring issue, Wasafiri 117: The State of the Industry 📝🌷🍰

Subscribe to Wasafiri and receive all four print issues plus access to our rich archive spanning forty years: wasafiri.org/subscribe/