Quay Words is delighted to continue our collaboration with Poetry Africa in Durban South Africa and bring together women writers from the UK and South Africa at our fourth development day. We’re pleased to be sharing the work of two excellent poets and writers, one based in South Africa and one based in the UK,…

Our Autumn 2021 writer-in-residence Louisa Adjoa-Parker is running two FREE poetry workshops. This first workshop will provide a space for discussion as well as tools and ideas for participants to take away and choose stories to focus on. Louisa wrote a very special narrative poem as a result of her pilot residency at Quay Words….

In this three-hour masterclass you will have the chance to dive into memoir writing with author Nikesh Shukla. This masterclass will explore techniques to address personal heritage and identity in your writing. Nikesh’s recent memoir Brown Baby has been described as ‘fizzing with humanity, life and light’, written addressed to his daughter, Brown Baby explores…

In this five week course, Tom Cox, using the experience he has gained as the author of eleven non fiction books, several newspaper columns, one novel and one collection of short stories, will guide you through the inner landscape of life writing. Who are the master life writers, and why? What are the pitfalls of…

SOLD OUT Want to write stories but not sure how to start and keep going? Or maybe you have got stuck with your writing? Come and join a small, friendly, and supportive group where we will explore free writing and exercises as a way into creating compelling characters and stories that will resonate with your…

Emerging writers will perform their nature writing for performance works-in-progress alongside Quay Words Summer writer-in-residence Naomi Westerman. All the work performed will have been developed in workshops with Naomi exploring the nature of Exeter Quayside. Come along and support emerging talent through our Quay Voices strand. This event will be live-streamed from Exeter Custom House….

Pike Ward was an extraordinary Devonian who became a hugely important figure in the history of modern Iceland. His story had been forgotten until his diaries and photographs were discovered by Katherine Findlay in 2016. At this event, Katherine and radio producer and actor Jo Loosemore will give an insight into their project to dramatise…

These workshops are free and have been designed for Exeter locals and residents to explore their local heritage; they are being led by Jojo Spinks at Interwoven Productions CIC. These sessions run on Wednesday afternoons from 13th October – 10th November 2021, 2 -4 pm. Please note, sessions on 3rd and 10th November will run…

Poet Caleb Parkin will lead you through approaches which – on the surface – remove choice (this year’s National Poetry Day theme). Using decks of cards, dice, random word generators and more, we’ll be inspired by a selection of poems on the theme of Choice. Writing in response, we’ll using these tools and toys to…

We will be ushering in National Poetry Day with Poetry Cabaret celebration. Caleb will share poems on this year’s theme of Choice, read from his new collection, This Fruiting Body and invite you to share your own poems or favourite poems you admire. Poems on the theme – however broadly interpreted – are welcomed, or any of…