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Newsletter September 2025

26 September 2025

News and Opportunities for Solent Writers and Writing
Breakthrough Assistant Producer
Amelia Simpson joins ArtfulScribe
Artswork is a charity encouraging young people through creativity so they can build a better future for themselves and others. Artswork's Breakthrough programme offers a six month training placement for 18-25 year olds giving the next generation a helping hand by providing unique opportunities to develop professional workplace skills and gain valuable industry experience.

Through this scheme, Amelia Simpson will join ArtfulScribe in the role of Assistant Producer, supporting administration and marketing with a particular focus on the Play on Words Festival (22 October - 3 November 2025) and LitFest 26 (13-15 March 2026).

Amelia's a keen reader and previously worked for Southampton's independent book retailer, October Books, where she hosts a regular open mic night. On behalf of ArtfulScribe's community of writers, facilitators, and supporters of written and spoken word, we welcome Amelia to the team.
Play on Words Festival
Wednesday 22 October - Monday 3 November all across the New Forest

It's nearly time for Play on Words and this year's festival focuses on wellbeing and resilience: for individuals, communities, and the natural world around us. There are a number of ways to get involved.


Career and Professional Development
Play on Words offers developmental opportunities for writers and our first Writers Day at this year's festival will include a day of scratch workshops at Forest Arts on Saturday 25 October, led by writers exploring fresh approaches towards creativity and experimenting with new ideas: more information coming soon!

For those keen to explore how to raise money to finance a project or writing proposal, the ever-popular 'Funding Routes for Writers' casts light on writing bids and raising revenue - with expert advice from funders and industry insiders, part of our second Writers Day at St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday 1 November. Nobody said being a writer is easy, and moral support is also available via a Wellbeing for Writers workshop and a panel discussion on rejection and resilience.

Recognising finance may be a barrier for some, the festival offers Pay What You Decide ticket options. Please see booking links for details.
 

Live Events
From poet and spoken word artist Luke Wright’s Later Life Letter through to New Forest Writer in Residence Yarrow Townsend and guests' exploration of Writing the Landscape, Live Literature is celebrated in a fanfare of colour, including a smokin' Poetry & Jazz Caféat Coda Music and Arts Trust featuring a jazz trio and poet and lyricist Matt Harvey, a familiar voice on Radio 4 since 2001.

Walhampton School host Stewarding the Soil with Jake Fiennes and Lymington's independent bookseller, The Imaginarium, are cooking up a cauldron of trivia for the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Quiz.

Nautical aficionados - fans of Patrick O'Brien or Hornblower interested in an innovative approach to the historical fiction genre can join Katie Daysh for the Book Lovers Lunch at the Cliff House Restaurant.
 

Workshops and Walks
For outdoors-types there's a variety of ways to engage and walk, write and discover —whether it’s a gentle riverside wander to Roydon Woods with Anne King, author of Delights of the New Forest; finding overlooked moments at Burley; or the Pens and Personalities tour with Lymington Town Walks. Or have a taste of Writing for Wellbeing with ArtfulScribe in Totton or New MiltonWordplay for Autumn with Read Easy in Lymington, Wordsmiths Adult Writing Group with Forest Forge in Ringwood, or the New Forest Writers Group at Forest Arts.


Find out more and book for all events at https://www.playonwords.org.uk/whatson2025: new events added regularly.

Writers in Conversation
Alexander McCall Smith, Friday 24th October, 8pm
Writers in Conversation, part reading, part Q&A, is a relaxed and engaging event featuring writers reading their work and talking about their writing lifestyle.
In this special edition, as a fundraiser for ArtfulScribe, Carole Burns will be in conversation with one of the world's most prolific best-selling authors, Alexander McCall Smith.

Alexander’s stories range from Edinburgh’s New Town, with tales from 44 Scotland Street, to the offices of The Perfect Passion Company. They arrive in Germany where the hilarious Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his colleagues hold court at the University of Regensburg’s Institute of Romance Philology, before this master storyteller’s craft touches down in Botswana for all the latest news from Mma Ramtswe and the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Alexander will also be sharing from his latest publication, ‘The Private Side of Friendship.’

This event will also include author signing opportunities and book sales.

Tickets available here
New Writing for Wellbeing sessions in the New Forest
Thursdays 1-3pm, Marcella House, Hythe

Have a cuppa and channel some creativity for a couple of hours with a supportive and friendly community at Marcella House in Hythe with Writing for Wellbeing in partnership with Solent Mind.

Using prompts from everyday life through poetry and prose, we'll explore what it is to be human and find out more about the experience of living by listening to each other and finding out how each person responds to a given task. 

You don't have to think of yourself as a writer to take part, and you don't have to share anything you've written unless you wish to do so. There are no expectations around skill levels or being a certain way.

Come as you are, and prepare for the possibility of leaving a little bit lighter!

Tickets available here
News from the Solent Region & Beyond
Events and Opportunities 

Winchester Poetry Festival - Performances, readings and workshops - 2nd -12th October | Online and at the Arc, Winchester, Jewry St, Winchester SO23 8SB.

No Place Like Home - Workshop - 4th October | October Books, 189 Portswood Road, Southampton So17 2NF - FREE TO ATTEND - BOOKING ADVISED

An Evening with Carole Burns and Craig Jordan-Baker - Event - 8 October | 7 - 9pm | October Books, 189 Portswood Road, Southampton, SO17 2NF.

Romance Writing Festival - Festival - 18 October | various times | Royal Bath Hotel, Bath Road, Bournemouth, BH1 2EW 

Words like Music to Your Ears - Workshop - 22 November | 1 - 3 pm | John Hansard Gallery, 142-144 Above Bar Street, Southampton SO14 7BL - FREE TO ATTEND - BOOKING ADVISED

PLEASE SUPPORT US BY DONATING 
ArtfulScribe is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, working with people from primary years to life's later stages. Help us help others make the most of life's opportunities by contributing to our cause to improve literacy levels in the Solent region. Thank you.
DONATE
If you'd like your events or opportunities for writers in the region to feature in our newsletter or social media, please drop a line to admin@artfulscribe.co.uk

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