Thursday 13 July 1800 - 2000

Explore Exeter’s 17^th Century Custom House with writer-in-residence Kim Squirrell

Are you interested in experimenting with ekphrastic writing? This workshop led by poet Kim Squirrell is an opportunity to explore innovative approaches and exercises for poetry writing in response to the Custom House’s objects, images and archives. Inspired by Dr Sally Flint’s research on ekphrastic writing and research, the workshop will encourage writers to move ‘beyond description’ and peel back layers of meaning and association to write the unexpected.

Kim Squirrell is a multidisciplinary writer and artist. Raised in Birmingham, but born to live in the Westcountry, her Irish-Caribbean heritage has led her to explore colonialism and the lives of working people, finding commonality and connections through the work of hands.

Her poetry and short stories have appeared in anthologies including: More Fiya (Canongate 2023,) Café Stories and Resist (Comma Press 2018/19,) Out of Bounds (Bloodaxe 2012) and literary magazines including: Riptide, Stand and the Poetry Review. Her novel-in-progress won the 2022 Sky Arts RSL Fiction Award and the 2021 Bridport Prize Dorset Award. 2021 also saw her shortlisted for the inaugural James Berry Poetry Prize established by Newcastle University’s Centre for Literary Arts (NCLA) and the renowned poetry publishing house Bloodaxe Books.

This workshop is taking place in person at Exeter Custom House and is Pay What You Can. You can find out more about the accessibility of the Custom House here. If you have any access needs you’d like to discuss with us before the event you can contact us on quaywords@literatureworks.org.uk