Wigan Writing Festival

The aim of Wigan Writing Festival is to showcase the breadth of ways you can write creatively that isn’t just about making up stories. Someone who knows this is organiser Gemma Holgate from Maddison House Press who began her career as a journalist and is now a non-fiction author and publisher.

“You don’t have to have been an English Literature student to write your own work and enjoy it, there’s something for everyone. From a film review to a menu to a social post, these are all ways of writing creatively and we often don’t recognise that,” says Gemma.

“I want Wigan Writing Festival to be a celebration of writing in all sorts of ways, and I’m absolutely thrilled that Tom, Maura and Louise have come on board to deliver sessions on poetry, comedy and journalling. It’s going to be an amazing day.”

Tom Stocks AKA The Chubby Northerner is a published author, poet and playwright and he will be running a workshop on writing poetry. Maura Jackson AKA The Feather Fixer is a charity CEO and leadership consultant by day, and by night, a standup comedian and she will be running a workshop on writing comedy. Louise Brown is an author, educator, NLP coach and will be running a workshop on journal writing and reflective practise.

Books published by all of the workshop hosts will be available to purchase on the day.

If this wasn’t special enough, the day will close with an opportunity for attendees to read out some of their work at an open mic session. This is optional, there’s no pressure to take part but whether you’d like to share something you’ve written during the day or something you’ve brought with you, you will be able to book a slot to perform.

While the open mic session is taking place, a separate room will be available for attendees to pitch their work or ideas to Maddison House Press founder Gemma Holgate in what she is calling, a pitch party. “It’s not quite Dragon’s Den but we will be asking potential authors about themselves and their ideas,” says Gemma. “It’s going to be a great way for future authors to get in front of a publisher and get feedback on their ideas in real time.”

Gemma hopes that Wigan Writing Festival will become an annual event with more opportunities for growth and involvement from writers and organisations in the area. “I’m really excited about this event and where it can go. I think it has the potential to put Wigan on the map as a place that celebrates the arts, reading and writing. This event is open to adults of all levels of experience so don’t worry if you haven’t done much writing, there’s plenty for you to enjoy,” she says.