OU English and Creative Writing

A piece of engraved stone or tile, grey-green in colour, with an engraving partially visible, speeling the first part of the word 'blooming'. Across the surface of the stone are rust-coloured autumn leaves. There is an ink stamp on the postcard which says 'Indianapolis'

Just 2 days until the conference: Letters and Literature 1500-2025. With researchers and writers, heritage industry experts and guest authors @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social and Sigrid Nunez.
#nationalpoetrylibrary
@literatureworks.bsky.social
@indiepressnetwork.bsky.social

And we are thrilled to host @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social
on 7/Nov at the Letters and Literature conference. One week to go! Tickets here: digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...

@carcanet.bsky.social
@tseliotprize.bsky.social
@bloodaxebooks.bsky.social
@rsliterature.bsky.social
4 m

We are delighted to host Sigrid Nunez at our Letters and Literature conference on the 7th of November. One week to go! Tickets here: digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...
@sarahsavitt.bsky.social
@hachetteuk.bsky.social @littlebrownbooks.bsky.social
@viragopress.bsky.social
#sigridnunez

Join best-selling authors @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social and Sigrid Nunez in conversation at the OU Letters and Literature conference. Full details of these events follow.
digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...
@womenwritersnet.bsky.social
@womensprize.bsky.social
@thebookseller.com

What a privilege to get to call this work. Please do join
Sigrid Nunez and me online on Friday 7 November at 8pm (UK time). Secure your free spot here: mklitfest.org/sigridnunez

A view of Bologna in Italy, showing a piazza wet with rain and reflecting the grand buildings around it. The sky is overcast and dramatic.

“A letter is always better than a phone call. People write things in letters they would never say in person" (Alice Steinbach) Registration is now open for The Open University's Letters and Literature conference: full programme here: digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...
#literature #writing

Cover of the book The Midnight Letterbox by Edwin Morgan, showing a bright red letter box.

“How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter" (Haruki Murakami). Join the Open University for an international celebration of Letters and Literature, November 5-7. Full programme at
digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...

@carcanet.bsky.social
@thepostalmuseum.bsky.social

A flyer for the documentary # Backlash showing a young Black boy on a man's shoulders at a Black Lives Matter demo. The boy has his right fist raised. Both the man and the boy wear masks.

The Language, Literature and Politics group at the OU presents
#Backlash - The Murder of George Floyd.
A Q & A with the director and the producer of the highly-acclaimed OU / BBC documentary Kwabena Oppong and Satema Tarawally.

Today, 4pm, online.

Tickets here: tinyurl.com/4265n5c7

A map of Jane Austen's Hampshire showing locations connected to the writer

Postcards continue to arrive from speakers all over the globe as we prepare for the upcoming international conference, Letters and Literature. Full details of the programme at
digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...
@modernistudies.bsky.social
@mklitfest.bsky.social
@ies-sas.bsky.social

Sigrid Nunez, one of the USA’s most esteemed authors, talks to Open University novelist Emma Claire Sweeney about the letters of Virginia Woolf and Susan Sontag.

mklitfest.org/sigridnunez

#openuniversity
#creativewriting
#lettersandliterature
#sigridnunez

We hope our friends and supporters can share our exciting programme widely!
@modernistudies.bsky.social @ies-sas.bsky.social @nawewriters.bsky.social @sharpweb.org @crasshlive.bsky.social @rsliterature.bsky.social @torchoxford.bsky.social @mklitfest.bsky.social

A postcard showing scenes from the town of Chapel Hill

The first of a series of postcards for our free online conference: Letters and Literature 1500-2025, 5-7 November 2025. Full programme: digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...

Every day we'll share a postcard sent to us by one of our guest speakers. Watch out for tomorrow’s!

Only 12 more days to our conference: Letters and Literature 1500-2025, 5-7 November 2025.
Full conference programme here: digital-humanities.open.ac.uk/letters2025/...

@oulibrary.bsky.social
@openuniversity.bsky.social
@openarc.bsky.social
@ouscotland.bsky.social
@ouireland.bsky.social

A wonderful resource for patients and staff at UHNT, and for the people of Teeside!
@teessidelive.bsky.social
@hwstockton.bsky.social
@bnteesside.bsky.social
@ouliterature.bsky.social

Dr Siobhan Campbell, Mel McAvoy and others in the Writers Nook at UHNT

Great write-up in @thenorthernecho.bsky.social for The Writers' Nook at UHNT: tinyurl.com/ya9wu4jz
Over 200 visitors in less than a week! Well done @poetrysiobhan.bsky.social, Mel McEvoy, @drsallybd.bsky.social and all involved. @ouhealtharts.bsky.social
@ncch.bsky.social
@thechc.bsky.social

We are delighted to be supporting the W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize 2025 with
@writersandartists.bsky.social
@ruppin.bsky.social, @societyofauthors.bsky.social and @openuniversity.bsky.social
Submissions open on 1st November 2025. www.writersandartists.co.uk/about-wa-wor...
PLEASE SHARE

Dr. Siobhan Campbell, creative writing lead on the Creating Space for NHS voices project in front of The Writers' Nook wall at North Tees Hospital.

NHS writers read their creative works on display in Teesside Restaurant, University Hospital North Tees

Plaque acknowledging NHS writers, the Creative Writing workshop series, Mel McEvoy Nurse Consultant, Convenor Dr. Sally Blackburn-Daniels and the Northern Cancer Alliance for the Open University Knowledge Exchange Project - Creative Writing for psychosocial support of NHS workers.

@drsallybd.bsky.social @teessidelive.bsky.social @hwstockton.bsky.social @bnteesside.bsky.social @ouliterature.bsky.social
Thanks to Gary Wright & Dr. Jean McCleod, University-Hospitals-Tees at The Writers' Nook exhibit-NHS voices, an OU Knowledge Exchange, supported bythe Northern Cancer Alliance

I have been lucky to support @poetrysiobhan.bsky.social and Mel McEvoy with the Creative Writing to support Healthcare workers Knowledge Exchange project at @ouliterature.bsky.social Yesterday we launched The Writers’ Nook at UHNT, showcasing impactful work of CW workshop participants.

A leather-bound notebook and a pen on a table, with a cup of coffee and some finger biscuits

TODAY: 14 October, 3pm.

Official unveiling of the Writers’ Nook in Café Wilbers, Tees Restaurant, UHNT, Stockton on Tees.

Developed with Dr. Siobhan Campbell @poetrysiobhan.bsky.social, Nurse Consultant Mel McEvoy and NHS staff.

PLEASE SHARE, AND COME ALONG!

www.nth.nhs.uk/about/visual...

Press release for the launch of the Writers' Nook at University Hospital North Tees on 14th of October 2025 at 3pm

Excited to announce the launch of the Writers’ Nook in Café Wilbers, Tees Restaurant, UHNT, Stockton on Tees, developed with Dr. Siobhan Campbell of @openuniversity.bsky.social and Nurse Consultant Mel McEvoy.

Official unveiling on Tuesday 14 October, 3pm.

PLEASE SHARE AND COME ALONG!

Poetry Spotlight: Zoe Brooks and Anna Saunders | MK Lit Fest 2025 Zoe Brooks and Anna Saunders aren’t just the driving forces behind Cheltenham Poetry Festival: they are compelling poets in the own right. We welcome them as they read from their latest and forthcomin...

12 November: Driving forces behind @cheltpoetfest.bsky.social, Zoe Brooks and Anna Saunders read for us, along with Leo Boix, Julia Webb and Lesley Sharpe.​ Tickets: www.mklitfest.org/poetryspotli...
@julwe1.bsky.social @lesleysharpe.bsky.social @zoebrooks.bsky.social @annasaund.bsky.social #poetry

Press release for the launch of the Writers' Nook at University Hospital North Tees on 14th of October 2025 at 3pm

Excited to announce the launch of the Writers’ Nook in Café Wilbers, Tees Restaurant, UHNT, Stockton on Tees, developed with Dr. Siobhan Campbell of @openuniversity.bsky.social and Nurse Consultant Mel McEvoy.

Official unveiling on Tuesday 14 October, 3pm.

PLEASE SHARE AND COME ALONG!

The prize is for writers over 18 from the UK and Ireland who are unagented, and consider themselves to be from a working class background.

Supported by the @openuniversity.bsky.social and @societyofauthors.bsky.social

PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONTACTS.

Excited to be supporting the W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize 2025 with the lovely people at @writersandartists.bsky.social and @ruppin.bsky.social

Find out more here: www.writersandartists.co.uk/about-wa-wor...

PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONTACTS

A wonderful story - wit, compassion, characterisation and eminently relatable dialogue all deployed with subtle skill.

Congratulations Ed! Great piece of work.

A picture of author Ed Hogan

Ed will also feature on tonight's episode of Front Row on BBC Radio 4 at 19:15: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - BBC National Short Story Award, BBC National Short Story Award 2025, Little Green Man by Edward Hogan Edward Hogan's tender story is in the running for the 20th BBC National Short Story Award.

We are delighted to reveal that our colleague Ed Hogan has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. His story, Little Green Man, will be broadcast today at 15:30 on BBC Radio 4: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

A close-up photo of a jeweller using a torch to heat a disc-shaped piece of metal jewellery.

Explore the connections between neurodivergence and creativity, design and making with OU lecturer @laniaknight and jewellery designers from Goldsmith’s Centre @gsmithscentre 8th October 6-8pm. Learn more here: www.goldsmiths-centre.org/whats-on/cre...

Do you want to develop your #book idea, taking it from an idea to a book?

In this #writing course Natalie Young will take you through each stage of story development, asking you to consider structure & hook, character & voice, plot & publishing.

Book: www.writersandartists.co.uk/events-and-c...