Sessions offered: 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm Do you have a single poem, work in progress, that you’re looking for expert insight on? These poetry surgeries are a chance to gain detailed feedback on one poem from award-winning poet Ella Frears. You will be asked to supply your poem (one side of A4 maximum)…

Explore Exeter’s 17th 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…

We’re thrilled to welcome Natasha Carthew back to the Custom House after her time as writer-in-residence in 2020. Natasha will be reading from her new memoir, Undercurrent: A Cornish Memoir of Poverty, Nature and Resilience, followed by a Q&A chaired by Sophie Pierce. You can also ‘save a seat’ to watch the live stream from…

We’re excited to welcome the award-winning novelist Kim Sherwood to Exeter Custom House for a reading and Q & A about her latest novel A Wild & True Relation. Combining smuggling and literary history, the novel is a perfect fit for our Custom House venue and this event will be kicking off the Quayside’s first Heritage Harbour festival….

We’re thrilled to welcome John Wedgwood Clarke back to the Custom House for the launch of his new collection Boy Thing. John will read from his latest work, followed by a Q&A chaired by Fiona Benson. Praise for Boy Thing “Boy Thing is a thing of wonder. These are poems that negotiate anew the tender, hurt territory…

We’re thrilled to welcome prize-winning novelist Andrew Miller to the Custom House. Andrew will be reading from his work including his latest novel The Slowworm’s Song. He’ll also be supported on stage by a handful of talented emerging writers who will be taking part in our three-day intensive Hothouse workshop. Over the busy three days Andrew will be…

A three-day course for writers of fiction Do you have a big idea that you are looking for time and support to nurture? Have you started writing your novel but are looking for inspiration to take the next steps? This selected, intensive weekend of workshopping is designed for you. Join award-winning novelist Andrew Miller over…

Join us and Quay Words writer-in-residence Davina Quinlivan at Exeter Custom House for an unique literary salon event with Noreen Masud and William Henry Searle on stories of place and finding profound narrative ‘threads’ through objects, puppetry and the everyday. During our Threads season this March and April we’ll be delving into text and the textile, pulling…

You’re invited to bring along a piece of fabric or clothing that has personal significance to you for this workshop. Davina will then use this as a jumping-off point to inspire participants to try out creative writing techniques, and then lead the group to create a long form piece of poetry written in collaboration. We…

We’re thrilled to welcome Claire Wilcox to Quay Words to discuss her book Patch Work for our Threads season. Throughout March and April we’ll be delving into text and the textile, pulling at the threads of Exeter Custom House’s history of fabric trade and its relevance today. Claire Wilcox has been a curator of fashion at the Victoria…