The Society of Readers and Writers 2022

Sibia Akhtar

Sibia Akhtar completed her Master of History in September 2020, funded by a scholarship from the Aziz Foundation. She focused on issues of race and racism in modern Britain and ways to make that history more accessible using public history approaches. Since May 2021, Sibia has been researching Manchester’s Cotton Industry as part of the Global Threads Public History Project at the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at UCL.

Follow Sibia on Twitter: @SibiaAkhtar

Yvonne Battle-Felton

Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, host, and creative producer. Her novel Remembered was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and is a 2019 British Library Eccles Centre Visiting Fellow, and Principal Lecturer—Business and Enterprise Lead at Sheffield Hallam University where she lectures in Creative Writing.

Follow Yvonne on Twitter: @YBattleFelton

Lynette Cawthra

Lynette Cawthra is Library Manager at Salford's Working Class Movement Library. Lynette’s career has been spent in the not-for-profit specialist library world. Previous jobs include running the information services at Age Concern England and at the health policy charity the King's Fund. She is a proud founder member of FC United of Manchester, enjoys singing at Manchester Community Choir, and is a passionate champion of the correct use of the apostrophe.

Jake Hope

Jake Hope is a reading development and children's book consultant with a keen interest in librarianship, visual literacy, diversity and children's books. Named as one of top ten librarians of the future in the United Kingdom's 'Love Libraries Campaign', he has been a regular reviewer and commentator on children's books for numerous publications and websites. He has judged numerous book awards, including the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, for whom he now Chairs the Working Party.

Follow Jake on Twitter: @Jake_Hope

Jennifer Lee Tsai

Jennifer Lee Tsai is a poet, editor and critic. She was born in Bebington and grew up in Liverpool. Jennifer is a fellow of The Complete Works programme for diversity and innovation and a Ledbury Poetry Critic. Her creative and critical work is widely published in magazines and journals as well as in the Bloodaxe anthology Ten: Poets of the New Generation (2017). Jennifer’s debut poetry pamphlet is Kismet (ignitionpress, 2019). She is the winner of a Northern Writers Award for Poetry 2020.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @JenniferLeeTsai

Ella Otomewo

Ella Otomewo is a poet, performer, and educator who found her voice in the spoken word community; but now writes for both the page and the stage. She has facilitated creative workshops for universities, community groups, libraries, schools, and festivals, and has performed her poetry all over the UK and in Europe. Some 2021 credits include: Contact Theatre, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Art with Heart, Coalesce Dance Theatre, Festival of Libraries (Manchester City of Literature), Big People Music and others.

Follow Ella on Twitter: @EllaOtomewo

Martine Shams

Martine Shams is a writer, copywriter and book lover who is currently a student at the University of Manchester. In 2019 she wrote an academic research paper titled, Interactive Fiction for Plagiarism, Collusion and Academic Malpractice which outlined the importance of storytelling and engagement in academia and learning. She is an advocate for more Northern representation in literature, academia and media, and in the process of writing a novel and several short stories, as well as short poems.

Alex Aldred

Alex Aldred is a writer of poetry and fiction. His debut chapbook, Faces Adjacent, was published by Ghost City Press in June 2021. Earlier this year, he completed a six-month stint as poet-in-residence for Historic Environment Scotland, running public creative workshops as part of the Celebrating St. Columba project. He is currently working towards his PhD in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh.

Follow Alex on Twitter: @itsmealexaldred

Kya Buller

Kya Buller was born in Manchester where she still resides. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of award-shortlisted publication Aurelia Magazine, as well as a freelance writer of personal essays and opinion, with work appearing online and in print. She is the co-host of Close-Up podcast and facilitates online and in-person events that encourage creativity and open discussion. She is currently working on her first book.

Follow Kya on Twitter: @kyajbuller

Hallie Fletcher

Hallie Fletcher is a twenty-six-year-old writer from North Manchester. After becoming pregnant at fifteen, Hallie knew she had to work extremely hard to achieve her dreams. She won the Portico Sadie Massey Awards for young writers for her poem Apple of my Life based on Alan Turing, which was published in the Portico Anthology, along with her journalistic piece about stereotypes. Since then, she has self-published two books and is now ready to begin an MA in Creative Writing.

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd is the House Manager at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester, which celebrates the life and literature of the Manchester author and welcomes visitors from across the world. Sally has led several Heritage Lottery and Arts Council projects during her 4 years in post, and built up the reputation of the now legendary monthly second-hand book-sale as a ‘must-go place’ for book lovers. She is a prolific reader of all genres, book group member, library champion and English Literature graduate.

Follow Sally on Twitter: @SallyJLloyd

Will Mackie

Will Mackie is Senior Programme Manager for Writing and Awards at New Writing North, leading on talent development and devising programmes of support for writers and translators while working alongside partners such as Sky Studios, Hachette Children’s Group and Channel 4. Additionally, he manages New Writing North’s prizes and reader development activities, and devises module content on university courses. He has worked for publishers in London, Edinburgh and Newcastle as fiction, non-fiction and poetry editor.

Follow Will on Twitter: @WilliamJMackie

Cheryl Pridgeon

Cheryl Pridgeon is a children’s public library and literacy specialist working at Manchester City Council. She leads the Children and Young People’s offer for Manchester Libraries and is also Hub Manager for the city-wide literacy campaign, Read Manchester, working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. Cheryl is also a trustee for Gorton Imagination Library which champions reading from an early age and gifts books to local families.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter: @CherylPridgeon

Katy Shaw

Katy Shaw is a public intellectual, presenter and writer. She is Director of Cultural Partnerships at Northumbria University. Her research interests include contemporary literature, especially literature from and about the North of England. She is currently authoring the All Party Parliamentary Group for Northern Culture into post-covid cultural recovery and is working as researcher in residence on the project ‘A Writing Chance’, which aims to enhance routes into writing for working class authors.

Follow Katy on Twitter: @ProfKatyShaw

Beth Barker

Beth Barker is a writer from Blackpool. As well as her work as a copywriter, she co-hosts the Up North Books podcast. She’s passionate about all things publishing and currently writes a monthly column for NRTH LASS, spotlighting new books from Northern women throughout 2021. Beth can often be found hosting book events, including industry panel discussions. She’s currently working on her first book about the lives of working-class women.

Follow Beth on Twitter: @bethrdb

Graham Caveney

Graham Caveney is a journalist, author and tutor specialising in adult education. He began writing in the 1980s – contributing book and music reviews to New Musical Express, The Face, City Limits, The Guardian and The Independent. In 2017 he published his memoir, The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness. It was a Sunday Times Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the 2020 Portico Prize. His next book, On Agoraphobia, will be published by Picador in May 2022.

Jo Flynn

Jo is a prize-winning poet, working in communications for the literary arts scene. Currently Partnerships and Comms Manager for Manchester UNESCO City of Literature, and for For Books Sake who champion women and non-binary writers. Jo developed and teaches a poetry course with Write Like A Grrrl and works one to one with individual writers. Jo has featured in the National Poetry Library in London for short form poetry and been invited to read internationally.

Follow Jo on Twitter: @flynx13

Natasha Junejo

Natasha Junejo has been writing under a pseudonym for ten years. Through her writing she has been invited to speak on BBC Woman’s Hour, Lena Dunham’s Women of The Hour, BBC Asian Network, City Radio, and Europe & Me. She is the founder of South Asian Writers, a hashtag that went viral in 2017, inviting writers of South Asian descent to introduce themselves and their work. She now leads the Literary arm of South Asian Heritage Month and the #OurStoriesMatter campaign.

Follow Natasha on Twitter: @natashajunejo

Mike Murphy

Mike Murphy has worked in trade and education publishing for more than 15 years across the UK. He now works in broadcast media and publishing in the North-West. He’s been a reader with in-school literacy programmes for primary school-aged children in the UK with English as an additional language. As a trustee of the UNESCO Manchester City of Literature, and beyond, he's a fierce advocate for publishing and literature in the North of England, and how it will change the world for the better.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @mgmmrphy

Alan Rice

Alan Rice is Professor of English and American Studies at UCLan where he is Director of the Centre for Migration, Diaspora and Exile and Co-Director of the Institute for Black Atlantic Research. He has lived in Lancashire for 25 years and has been involved in numerous community organisations. His TV work includes The One Show, BBC Breakfast, Great Canal Journeys, A Stitch in Time and substantial contributions to the BBC Radio 4 programme Britain’s Black Past.

Kim Wiltshire

Kim Wiltshire is a political playwright, fiction writer and community artist. Her first play, Polarised, commissioned in 2004 as part of the Government response to the race riots in Lancashire, was later turned into a film for schools. She has authored Writing for Theatre: Critical and Creative Approaches (2014: Palgrave Macmillan) and co-authored Scenes from The Revolution: Making Political Theatre 1968-2018 (2018: Pluto Books/Edge Hill Press). She is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Creative Writing at Edge Hill University.

Follow Kim on Twitter: @KKWiltshire