Rainbow International Writers' Cafe | Free

This event is being co-produced with the Indonesian Writer, Nuril Basri. 

We welcome LGBTQ+ writers at any level, writing in any genre or form, fiction and non-fiction, from or based anywhere in the world.

With often large numbers of writers attending, we create smaller breakout rooms throughout the event, where you can get to meet and chat with small groups of other writers.

We will also have the following short sessions (running order to be confirmed)

Microworkshop: Decolonising Queer Poetry with Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Looking at two poets and how they use language to decolonise/break up false categories that we put humans into. A workshop accessible to those who might not have explored these ideas before.

Gayathiri is a Tamil poet and sex educator. Ideas of inheritance, transness and displacement are central to their work. They won the Primadonna Fiction Prize and they've been shortlisted for the Bridport Poetry Prize and FAB Prize. Their work can be found in Burnt Roti, Tamil Futures and magma (forthcoming).

https://www.gayathiri.co.uk

Microworkshop : Finding and Writing Your Wild Animal with Davy Benstead-Cross 

A mini-exploration in writing about wildlife and our connections to it.

Davy is a postgraduate student in Travel and Nature Writing at Bath Spa University, also a full-time tutor. Animals have always formed a huge part in their lives, from childhood hedgehog care to spending their gap year as an aquarium aquarist. They spent summer 2021 raising a herring gull.

Book Blog 

LinkedIn

Performance: Scenes from Billy Budd Sailor written and performed by Martin Lewton

Martin Lewton performs extracts from his award winning show. A closeted gay man in his bath recounts to himself Billy’s tragic story by Herman Melville and in so doing confronts his own predicament. There will also be a short Q&A after the performance if time allows. Contains nudity.  Adapted and performed by Martin Lewton. Directed by Andrew McKinnon.

http://www.theatrenorth.co.uk/

Q&A - Exploring the International Writer Residency and Retreat Experience with Nuril Basri

Nuril will have just completed a funded writing residency in Sweden. He will reflect on and explore the expereince also drawing on the experience and knowledge of other participants.

NurilBasri.com

This event is free but we would welcome donations to our Bursary Scheme which provides funds for writers to attend our courses or networking events, who would otherwise be unable to attend. You can donate here.

All attendees who aren't already members will, after the event, be invited to join our online Writer Network on our Slack platform, where you can remain connected with many of the attendees from the day.