Inspiring our future creative talent

Creative Writing Industry Day opens doors for first time at Cardiff University

Budding writers for page, stage and screen have gained valuable insight into the world of writing at Creative Writing Industry Day,

The free event was the first public opportunity of its kind dedicated to the writing and publishing industry in the company of acclaimed writers, poets, agents and publishers at the University.

Alumni working across the creative industries including the spoken word, theatre and television from Cardiff University’s Creative Writing MA programme shared their experiences, challenges, and successes in navigating the creative industries post-graduation.

Among the alumni sharing insight and tips on the day were Jannat Ahmed (BA 2016, MA 2017), Dan Anthony (MA 2011, PhD 2019), Taylor Edmonds (MA 2022), Rebecca Parfitt (MA 2011) and Nasia Sarwar-Skuse (MA 2020).

Practitioners at different stages of careers were full of top tips on the delicate early stages of careers from Life after an MA in Creative Writing and Getting Paid - The Practicalities of a Writing Career, as well as practical breakout sessions on Beating Writers Block and Securing an Agent.

From nurturing emerging talent to championing diverse voices, influential publishing houses in Wales shared stories behind books, explained their editorial processes, and gave valuable advice in Voices in Welsh Publishing.

Huge thanks to Seren Books, Parthian Books, Broken Sleep Books, and Lucent Dreaming for such valuable insight into the unique challenges and opportunities within the nation’s publishing landscape.

The full-capacity day of inspiration and knowledge-sharing was a joint collaboration between Creative Cardiff, the network connecting people in the capital’s creative industries and the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University.

Taught by leading academics and writers across genres at one of the UK’s first creative writing centres, BA English Literature and Creative Writing and MA Creative Writing are among a range of programmes offered in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy.

Today, the centre’s award-winning novelists, poets and playwrights include Ailbhe Darcy, Tristan Hughes, Tyler Keevil, Meredith Miller, Abigail Parry, Tim Rhys and Christina Thatcher (MA 2010, PhD 2020).

Co-organiser Lecturer in Creative Writing, Christina Thatcher (MA 2011, PhD 2020) said:

‘Traditionally, we've run this industry day just for our MA students - it's always a great event and a degree highlight! This year, we are delighted to be partnering with Creative Cardiff to open this day to the public. We hope this will benefit Cardiff’s wider writing community and support our students to grow their networks in the city.’

Head of Creative Cardiff Jess Mahoney said:

‘Whilst many of Creative Cardiff’s activities are industry-facing, there’s also a wealth of exciting emerging creative talent right here on our doorstep, within the university itself. The Creative Writing MA is a great example of this, with the course becoming a hotbed of new voices in recent years. We’re really excited to be collaborating on the 2024 Creative Writing Industry Day by opening this event up to the wider public for the very first time. This partnership will bring a wealth of valuable expertise and experience to Cardiff’s wider writing community, whilst also enriching the experiences of students on the course by giving them the opportunity to strengthen and enrich their networks.’

Creative Writing Industry Day 2024 took place on 16 May at Cardiff University’s Glamorgan Building.