Since 2008, Readers & Writers has developed a new strand of its work with diverse and new communities.
We work with Refugee Community Organisations to organise creative writing and reading workshops for people with refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds. We work in places like the Migrants Resource Centre in Westminster, the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum in Ladbroke Grove, Praxis in Bethnal Green, Bristol Refugee Rights, St Chad’s Sanctuary in Birmingham, Jesuit Refugee Service in Wapping and Community Arts North West in Manchester.
We work with participants in each centre and create ongoing series of writing and reading workshops led by professional writers with star guests such as Esther Freud, Mimi Khalvati, George Szirties, Daljit Nagra, Blake Morrison and Choman Hardi.
At the end of the 8 week workshop series, the writers contribute to a beautifully produced book that is then launched at a public event, often at English PEN’s home, Free Word, in Farringdon. The latest books are now available to read online.
If you are from a Refugee Community Organisation and you would like to set up a series of writing and reading workshops, please contact Philip Cowell on philip@englishpen.org.
