Our work with new communities

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 who may be refugees, asylum seekers or migrants.

We are currently working in four refugee centres across London: with the Migrants Resource Centre in Westminster, the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum in Ladbroke Grove and Praxis in Bethnal Green. We work in each centre to 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 English PEN's new 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.