Writing East Midlands

Black Writers of the East Midlands 🖊️📖
Cara Thompson🌱

Cara is a writer, facilitator and interdisciplinary artist based in Nottingham with over 10 years experience. In 2025, she was announced as Nottingham's first Nature Poet Laureate, and as Wasafiri Magazine's Writer in Residence in 2026

She uses poetry, performance, textiles and oral histories to explore cultural and ecological memory. As a proud descendant of Jamaican migrants who came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation, her work is influenced by the richness and complexity of her Caribbean-British heritage

🎤 In 2021 she won ‘Slamovision’, UNESCO's International Spoken Word competition with her poem ‘Island Screams’

🩵 Since then, she has been a co-producer of young people’s development here at Writing East Midlands and most recently, co-producer of the ALCS WEMterns project

🌱 She has delivered ‘Growing Words’, a programme of free nature-based creating writing workshops across Nottingham and beyond

📕 She published her debut pamphlet ‘Bring it to the Altar’ last year with support from GOBS, Bad Betty Press, Vanessa Kisuule and Anthony Anaxagorou

🪡 She is currently working on ‘NEEDLE’ her Arts Council England funded project experimenting with integrating textiles and sewing practices into poetry and storytelling

🧵 Her first short speculative fiction story, ‘The Thread Path’ will be published in September, written during the ‘Speculative Storytellers Retreat’ with Evie Muir and Healing Justice London

🌷 Cara is in the early stages of developing an anthology to celebrate her time as Nottingham’s Nature Poet Laureate ending in Spring 2027, with some potential online co-writing spaces over this winter – so watch this space!

Stay tuned for our next featured writer, we’re excited to be celebrating some of the many amazing Black Writers in the East Midlands throughout October ❤️

Know a writer you would like to see featured in our campaign? Tell us about them via DM or down in the comments 📱⬇️

LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT:
✅️ 15K words of your book
✅️ 5K words of your short story
✅️ 150 lines of poetry
✅️ Your agent submission package

For FREE editorial feedback. Submissions close TOMORROW, 11.59 pm.

Get yours in ➡️ https://bit.ly/FREEREADS

The countdown begins! ⏰️

Our international short fiction and poetry competition opens THIS WEEKEND! On Saturday, we'll be opening entries for the 2026 prize and revealing this year's judges. 👀

Get ready - we'll be accepting entries through this link from 9 am:
https://bit.ly/AURORAPRIZE

In the meantime, who do you think our 2026 judges will be? 🤔

Black Writers of the East Midlands 🖊️📖
Ty’rone Haughton

An exponent in the craft of spoken word performance, Ty’rone is known for pushing the boundaries of performance poetry to create work that is both emotionally resonant and socially urgent. His work as a performance poet challenges perceptions, interrogates masculinity and celebrates Black identity.

Ty’rone was recognised for his contributions to the arts and advocacy in the social care sector, named one of ’s ‘Future Figures’. Drawing on his own experience of growing up in care, he works with national organisations and local authorities to improve the experience of looked after children.

🍎 Ty'rone is the Associate Artistic Director of , and the founder and artistic director of Leicester poetry organisation

🎤 He has been commissioned by organisations such as , , the Violence Reduction Network, , and is working with Art Not Evidence to campaign against the use of rap lyrics in court.

📓 In 2022 his debut poetry collection 'Hoods' was published by Verve Press and was republished as an extended edition by Literati Press in October 2026.

✒️ His work has been studied and performed at the University of Vienna, and he has collaborated with The Poetry Society, BBC: Contains Strong Language, and The Birmingham Opera Company

🌱 Ty'rone was a judge for the BCU Benjamin Zephaniah Future Writers Award, and UNESCO Nottingham Nature Poet Laureate position; he plays a key role in nurturing new voices and growing the UK’s spoken word scene

🦊 Ty'rone founded the Leicester Poetry Committee and was pivotal in the creation of the inaugural role of Leicester Poet Laureate

👀 Ty'rone is currently touring his debut one-man poetry show ‘Made You Look’ () which has received critical acclaim and five-star reviews, he has also published the play text to accompany the show – upcoming tour dates include Luton, Manchester, Coventry and Birmingham!

Stay tuned for our next featured writer, we’re celebrating some of the many amazing Black Writers in the East Midlands throughout October ❤️

LAST WEEKEND to apply for free editor feedback! 📢

Here's a reminder of what you can submit:
✅️ 15K words for books
✅️ 150 lines of poetry
✅️ Up to 5K for short stories
✅️ Your agent submission package

Remember: 'Low income' includes pensioners, students, those in receipt of Universal Credit and more. Find out if you are eligible for a free review of your writing here: https://bit.ly/FREEREADS

NEXT TUESDAY, join the first workshop for this group! ✍️

Free and online for Neurodivergent, Global Majority writers. Come along and try it out, with no pressure to continue and no pressure to join us for every session.

Save your place here ➡️ https://bit.ly/BTSANTONIA

✍️ For writers seeking literary agents:

If you watched our video last week and you're interested in the opportunities we shared, here are the direct links for more info:

For our masterclasses ➡️ https://bit.ly/WEMSHOP
For free editor feedback ➡️ https://bit.ly/FREEREADS

Our young writers' competition has extended its deadline! ⏳️

To make sure young writers have enough time over half term to finish off their short stories, blogs and poems, we've pushed the closing date of the Solstice Nature Prize to 31st October 2026. 🎃🌳

Get your young writer's entry in by Halloween for their chance to win! Find the entry link in the comments below. ⬇️

WANTED: Neurodivergent writers in Lincolnshire! 📣

We're offering FREE, online workshops led by and for ND writers, with groups dedicated specifically to adults with Lincolnshire postcodes. Find out more through the links below.

Tuesday group ➡️ https://bit.ly/BTSLINCSTUES
Thursday group ➡️ https://bit.ly/BTSLINCSTHURS

Hi WEM friends! ✍️

Here are BRAND NEW opportunities from around the East Midlands; new short courses for writers, open calls for script and screenwriters, an Arts Council funding workshop plus a panel talk in Lincoln! ✨️

All these and more listed on our website! 🖥️🧡