What Women Write: Open Workshop (online)

This workshop is one of a series taking place across Southampton as part of the Jane Austen 250 celebrations, and offers women the opportunity to reflect on contemporary life and share their unique perspectives.

You don't need to have read Jane Austen's books, nor do you need experience in creative writing. This is for anyone who identifies as a woman who would like to connect with like-minded people and tell their own stories in their own ways about living and working in Southampton today.

The workshop is delivered by ArtfulScribe in partnership with Southampton Forward.

The session will be led by Susmita Bhattacharya, assisted by Cathryn Spillar.

Susmita's novel, The Normal State of Mind, was published in 2015 by Parthian (UK) and Bee Books (India). It was long listed for the Words to Screen Prize by the Mumbai Association of Moving Images (MAMI). Her most collection of short stories, Table Manners, won the Saboteur Short Story Collection Prize in 2019, was finalist for the DLF Hall & Woodhouse Literary Prize and was serialised on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Currently, she is working on her second novel. She teaches short fiction at Winchester University, facilitates writing for young people with ArtfulScribe, and is a mentor supporting global majority writers for the Middle Way Mentoring project.

Cathryn is a poet, published most recently this year by Stairwell Books in 'Dream Catcher issue 51, Indigo Dreams publishing in 'The Dawntreader' issue 71 and 'Cerasus Poetry Magazine' issue 4. She regularly shares her work at Write a Note, Mayflower Studios. She has a background in special education, working extensively with people of all ages with learning difficulties and complex needs. She has expertise in sensory communication including sensory drama and storytelling. She has also taught English as a second language.

A Zoom link will be sent out in advance of the session. If you have any questions please contact admin@artfulscribe.co.uk.