What if YOU spoke?
Get inspired with our free online writing and illustration masterclasses, and develop your creative voice.
Whether you're interested in starting your own novel or illustrating your own comic, finding out more about journalism or about different forms of poetry, or you just want to try something new, you can get expert advice from literary prize winners, award-winning illustrators, and some of today’s most inspirational voices. For free!
Just click on a video link at the bottom of the page to start. There are ten different masterclasses, and you can take part in one, a few, or all of them!
- Comics With Character - with illustrator and writer Joff Winterhart
- Draw Your Voice - with visual artist Rudy Loewe
- Finding Your Inner Voice - with author, illustrator and poet Laura Dockrill
- Form in Poetry - with poet Deanna Rodger
- Journalism 101 - with writer, journalist and producer Ali May
- Nature Writing - with writer and researcher Zakiya McKenzie
- Starting Your First Novel - with writer and poet Derek Owusu
- Find out The Thread that links you to your stories - with filmmaker, activist and feature writer, Ashish Ghadiali
- What Have I Got To Write About? - with poet, novelist and playwright Steven Camden
- What Next? Developing Your Stories Further - with author Kirsty Logan
Find inspiration and develop your creative voice today.
What if YOU Spoke? is led by Libraries Unlimited in partnership with Pen to Print, University of Exeter, Africa Writes & Literature Works as part of Exeter UNESCO City of Literature.
Journalism 101
Writer, journalist and producer Ali May takes you through the basics, principles and ethics of journalism. Find out how you can apply them to your writing for news or features.
Me? What Have I Got To Write About?
Poet, novelist and playwright Steven Camden discusses how you to start, develop and shape the stories that you want to tell.
Finding Your Inner Voice
Author, illustrator and poet Laura Dockrill shows you how to develop your own writing voice, and to find inspiration out of writer's block.
What Next? Developing Your Stories Further
Author Kirsty Logan discusses how to find what's unique to you, and how you can develop your stories and your writing voice.
The Thread
Writer, filmmaker and activist Ashish Ghadiali shows you how to develop the story teller in you. Find the thread that links you to your stories, whichever form of writing or art you work with.
Form in Poetry
Poet Deanna Rodger discusses form in different types of poetry. Find out how you can shape your poems to engage and surprise readers.
Nature and Uncertainty
Writer Zakiya McKenzie discusses writing about the natural environment, and how you can develop and structure your nature writing.
Draw Your Voice
Visual artist Rudy Loewe creates comics, illustrations and paintings to engage people. See how you can create your own artwork about issues that are important to you.
Comics... with Character
Illustrator and writer Joff Winterhart shows you how to find inspiration, develop characters and storyboard your very own comic.
Starting Your First Novel
Writer and poet Derek Owusu takes you through the process of writing, and developing your ideas into your own novel.
