As a freelance writer and educator, I do a lot of different jobs, and wear a lot of different hats. And, one of my favourite jobs is supporting emerging writers to find their creative voices.
So, when Nottingham City of Literature and Bromley House Library approached me to act as a writing mentor for their first ever young writers’ residency, I could hardly say no, could I?!
Bromley House Library were looking for writers to respond creatively to the Alan Sillitoe Collection, a room of books, maps and journals gifted to the library on the death of the author in 2010. The young writers were invited to use the collection as inspiration for a poem or a short piece of prose, which would then be published as part of the collection.
Now, a writing residency is a delicate balancing act: you have to understand the needs of the organisation employing you, while also finding ways to engage with topics that you might not usually write about.
Therein lies the challenge – and the joy – of a writer’s residency!
So, I worked with Nottingham City of Literature and Bromley House to advertise for the residency roles and judge the submissions, and we found two fantastic young writers who were keen to participate.
Although we had lots of strong submissions for this residency, we chose the writers who had reflected on the themes of the project, and articulated clearly what they wanted to learn from the residency.
Our successful candidates, Henry and Flynn, were given full access to the library. They spent a week in Bromley House exploring the collection. They combed through the books, browsed the maps and examined the journals, all while thinking about libraries, the act of reading, and the complicated ways writers respond to their immediate and imagined surroundings.
My role as writing mentor was to guide Flynn and Henry through a series of exercises, prompts, and discussions, to help them find the words that would ignite their creativity.
I know that writing residencies can be quite daunting; you don’t know if you’ll connect with the material or if you’ll be able to find an idea that speaks to you. Approaching commissions with curiosity and creativity is the best way to develop a piece of writing that you’re really proud of, and one that the organisation will love too.
Strangely enough, both Henry and Flynn were drawn to the marginalia in the Sillitoe collection – those hand-written annotations that appear in the margins of many of the books. These short notes offer glimpses into the lives of the people who owned and shared these books, and the idea of “margins” became an important theme during the residency.
Marginalia in the Alan Sillitoe Collection
Of course, writing to a commission is not about faithfully describing the things that you observe. Rather, it’s about your personal interpretation – that glorious meeting point between the art and the artist. Or, in this case, the collection of books and the writer interpreting that collection.
And, one of my favourite parts of mentoring is reading through first drafts and offering my editing suggestions. The conversations I had with Flynn and Henry were really energising, and their enthusiasm was completely infectious too!
Having your work edited and discussed is a vital part of the publishing process, so it was wonderful that these young writers were so receptive and open to suggestions.
But producing a piece of writing during a residency is only part of the equation. You also have to be able to present that piece of writing, either through publication on the page or via a live or recorded performance.
And, when taking on a writer’s residency, it’s important to be aware of the audience for your writing, and to know where the work will be displayed, so you can tailor your piece accordingly. After all, you wouldn’t want a ridiculously sweary poem to be displayed on the wall of a children’s library! That would be a nightmare!
The Bromley House Library Residency has been a lovely project to work on, but like all good things, it must come to an end.
So, I wanted to finish by reflecting on my advice for emerging writers working on commissions and residencies.
Ithink there are three things you need to remember:
- Be curious and creative – find the spark that connects your interests to the commission.
- Be communicative – find out the who, what, when, where and why of the commission.
- Be thorough – write down all your ideas and be open to suggestions and collaborations.
But the most important advice is to enjoy the process. It’s not every day that you’ll get paid for your creativity, so savour the experience where you can.
Have fun and happy writing!
Feeling inspired?
Read more about the Bromley House residency. Applications for the next writers residency open on the 16th December 2025. Check our projects page for more information.
Leanne Moden
The young writers mentor is Leanne Moden, who will help them to explore the collection, develop their creative writing and respond to the brief.
Leanne Moden is a poet, theatre-maker, and freelance educator, based in Nottingham.
Leanne has performed poetry at events all across the UK and Europe, and her second collection was published in 2020. Leanne works as a writer in residence with First Story, supporting secondary school pupils to publish their creative writing. She also runs the Writing East Midlands young people’s writing workshops in Nottingham and Mansfield, and supports the Writing East Midlands Youth Board. Leanne is fuelled by fruit tea, Jaffa Cakes, and unrelenting whimsy.