About

In September 2017 I was offered the opportunity to teach a Workers’ Educational Association Creative Writing course, taking over from Alison Taft and, (before Alison), Becky Cherriman. I inherited a well-established class. Some of the learners had attending the course over a long period of time. At this point, even though I had taught creative writing for a number of years I wondered what I could teach this group that they might not already have covered.

But I soon discovered that these learners were interesting, able writers who were very motivated and they were up for any challenge I set them. In the last 3 years we’ve had a go at many different forms and genres and themes and the group has gone from strength to strength.

Amongst other achievements we:-

·         perform each year at the Headingley Literature Festival,
·         established a very successful open mic called Soundbites.
·         regularly read our work at Soundbites and at other local open mics.
·         have been published in anthologies,

And now, we also have our own website, Heartlines, to showcase our work.

Learners have come and gone over the last 3 years but the core group and the spirit remains the same – supportive, good humoured, caring, generous, enthusiastic. Not to mention talented.

We do a lot of writing and have a lot of fun!

Liz McPherson