Dear 2021, The Start of It | Interview |Publishing Opps

Well, these posts are coming thick and fast now, aren’t they? A few things today…

Last night I spent a delightful four hours running REBELLION workshops for Sheffield Libraries. In my time as Writer in Residence I’e covered an awful lot – in topics, genre, and the diversity of people I’ve worked with. I don’t think there’s been a workshop with so much variety. It turns out there’s a lot that people want to rebel against: allergies, sexism, ableism, noisy neighbours, late buses. The pieces were so well written and fuelled by passion and truth I was left with goosebumps several times. And that’s the best thing about this job – seeing and hearing what people feel. And I am so excited because those pieces are going to be broadcast so you can hear them too. (If anyone wants to be involved drop me a line here.)

Last week I was interviewed by Sheffield Libraries which was enormous fun (it’s always fun talking about the things we like). You can listen to me talking about writing, my journey into it, recommended reads, things coming up, the magic ingredient of confidence – all sorts – by going here. It’s up on Spotify and Apple Music and all the usual places. (Check out all the other podcasts – there’s loads of brilliant stuff up there, and even more to come.)

DEAR 2021, The Start Of It

Now, this gets me excited. Not too many places left but I would love as many people as possible to join me, Sheffield Libraries, and The BBC for this…

Many of us will be haunted by the ghosts of 2020 – the strangest of years. We’re giving you the opportunity, the voice, and the audience to put them to bed.

Working with the BBC (The Novels That Shaped Our World) Dear 2021, The Start of It takes the spirit of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and challenges you to exorcise the ghosts of 2020 by writing a letter to Donald Trump, the universe, Santa, the future – to someone or everyone, telling us what you want to change and the whys and hows.

During this two-part workshop, Sheffield Year of Reading Writer in Residence Nik Perring, will show you the best ways of making your ideas, and desires, into brilliant poems, letters, or stories – and then he’ll show you how to shape them into pieces good enough to send up the chimney/out to the world.

The finished pieces will be collated into a special book and you’ll record them on your own devices (or we can sort a reader for you) to be broadcast via Sheffield Library Service’s Digital platform.

All levels of experience are welcome (we’re running one workshop for teens and one for adults) – we WANT YOUR WORDS!

FREE!  | Open to young people 14 to 19
Email: [email protected] to book
Workshops will take place on Crowdcast / Camera not needed
Workshops Tuesday 24th November, and Wednesday 2nd December (teens, 5pm, adults 7pm),


Published by

nikperring

Nik Perring is a short story writer, author, teacher of writing, and editor from the UK. His stories have been published widely all over the world. His books include the widely celebrated Not So Perfect (Roastbooks 2010), A Book of Beautiful Words; and Beautiful Trees; and he co-wrote Freaks!(TFP/HarperCollins, 2012).

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