Biscuits & Words was a writers’ group for young adults which we ran from 2014 to 2016. It was funded by Writing East Midlands with support from Loughborough University and Charnwood Arts.
Sessions were led by our own writer – Alison Mott – supported by poet and cookery blogger Lottie Huckle. Liz Waddell joined the team when Lottie moved to London and a job in publishing.
Biscuits & Words met fortnightly in LU Arts’ cool, arty meeting area in the Edward Barnsley Building on Epinal Way. We later moved to a more central location in town, using community rooms belonging to Charnwood Arts in Granby Street.
In our sessions we used short, quirky prompts to kick off quick bursts of writing, inviting the young writers to suggest prompts as the group grew in confidence. Everyone wrote in the sessions – young and older writers alike – and were encouraged to read out what they had written. Most found it scary at first but soon got over it as their creative muscles became used to the exercise.
The Young Writers wrote whatever they wanted – poetry, plays, song lyrics, stories – and often brought in pieces they’d continued to work on at home. It was fantastic to see each young writer grow in confidence – in their ideas and creativity, their writing and critical skills, their communication skills and their friendships, too. We even became official bloggers for the first ever Loogabarooga Children’s Illustrated Literature Festival in October 2015.
And best of all there wasn’t a red pen or marking scheme in sight. But there was laughter and creativity and biscuits – lots of biscuits. Hence the name – Biscuits and Words – chosen to replace ‘Charnwood Young Writers’ by the young people who attended the group.
Biscuits & Words was a lot of fun for everyone involved and we’d love to start up another young writer’s group in the area soon.
Contact us if you’d like us to run a writing group in a community setting you know.
Charnwood Creatives 