The first event on Friday morning is the Creative Writing Workshop with PBFs writer in residence Kerry Hudson. Despite an early start time of 10am, the attendance is great and becomes immediately apparent that we have a vibrant and energetic group of writers.
The first exercise involves the workshop participants writing about what their name means and what it means to them. As the writers discussed what they had written, it becomes apparent just how useful this was in both developing story telling techniques as well as understanding the entanglements of history, place and identity.
Someone asks Kerry about routes into publishing and she suggests writing competitions as a means to become ‘established’ in the field.
The next exercise, building on the theme of Remake and Rebel is to write about an image of protest. The brief was to incorporate a narrative that signifies the need for protest in contemporary society.
Some of the participants read their work to the group. One of them Wendy Ferguson has very kindly allowed us to reproduce her work here.
Standing Up…by Wendy Ferguson
Created 17/2/23 at a wring workshop with Kerry Hudson. Thinking about injustice and my experience as a late diagnosed autistic adult, who has fought for support for many years and struggles on, mostly alone….
He shouts at my ear, she stands on my toe
For me it’s too busy, I just want to go
But I came here with purpose, to make my last stand
I feel my protector just holding my hand.
The smell of injustice is wet in the air
Of people in smart suits who simply don’t care.
It’s me for a change, now, things can’t stay the same
The horse hasn’t bolted because he’s lying down, lame.
He fought his last fight and then simply gave up
Said goodbye to a world without enough love.
Who are we if we won’t take care of our wounded?
Survival of the fittest, the phrase with which we are hounded.
He shouts at my ear, she stands on my toe
For me it’s too busy, I just want to go.
Wendy discovered poetry in 2013 through meditation. Wendy believes the meditation somehow released this form of rhythmic verbal expression of her inner experiences. Describing her work, Wendy says “I write poems to help me process the world around me and inside me. They have helped me find my voice.” Connect further with Wendy if you wish at www.facebook.com/invesnginyouwithwendy
