Writing Our Legacy: opportunities for BAME writers

Brighton-based Writing Our Legacy has announced a new online literary programme, New Narratives: We Need to Change the Stories We’re Telling, to continue delivering its mission to raise awareness of the contributions of BAME writers, poets, playwrights and authors born, living in or connected to Sussex and the South East.

Designed in response to Covid-19, the programme runs till December 2020 and features ‘pay what you can’ online talks, socials, workshops and a retreat, featuring leading names from the literary world, including Dean Atta, Catherine Johnson, and Jacob Ross.

Jacob Ross, Writer and Jhalak Prize winner, said: ‘Writing Our Legacy is doing incredibly important work in writer development, and fostering cross fertilisation between writers at various stages of their development. I’m very pleased to contribute to that work.’

Other aspects of the programme include mentoring sessions and a project to distribute Writing Our Legacy’s Hidden Sussex (2019), an anthology of poems, prose and short stories from writers of colour who live in or have connections with Sussex, to universities across the UK.

Amy Zamarripa Solis, Chair & Programme Manager for Writing Our Legacy, said: ‘Now more than ever it is vital for BAME-led arts organisations such as Writing Our Legacy to support our writers, creatives and communities and create safe spaces to come together.

‘We are witnessing the world in a critical situation with global protests against the murder of George Floyd, challenging racism and inequalities in the US and the UK, as well as Covid-19. We are also experiencing potential for positive change by working together as a human race.

‘Literature and the arts gives hope and inspiration, gives people new ways of expressing themselves. Our programme aims to unify people of all walks of life together online and shine a light on the amazing writers, musicians and artists we have in Sussex and the South East.’

New Narratives is a Writing Our Legacy programme, delivered in partnership with Sussex-based, regional and national organisations including: New Writing South, Crawley Wordfest, Diverse Crawley, Africa Night Fever, Brighton & Hove Black History, Diversity Lewes, and Worthing BME Group. The programme is funded by Arts Council England’s Emergency Response Fund.

Writing Our Legacy, in partnership with New Writing South, is also launching the new literary magazine, Covert, with a call for submissions from BAME writers and artists for the upcoming first edition, which has the theme Sussex Fortuneteller: What Do Writers See in the Future? 

The first edition of Covert will open for submissions on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 and invites writers of colour to send through original fiction, poetry and art work. Fifteen writers will be selected, and each will receive mentoring and editorial feedback by Guest Editors Umi Sinha and Dean Atta, with an editorial team made up of Amy Zamarripa Solis (Writing Our Legacy), Sharon Duggal (New Writing South) and others. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 30, 2020 and the magazine will be launched at an online event in December 2020, with copies for sale and to read online.

Lesley Wood, Chief Executive of New Writing South, said: ‘Over and over again, with the smallest budget and the biggest heart, Writing Our Legacy brings excellent new work by BAME writers and artists out into the world.

‘Covert magazine is a bold old/new way to showcase some of the UK’s most exciting emerging writers whose fresh ideas and strong voices inspire our minds and nurture our souls. New Writing South is proud to support this work and we warmly encourage all writers of colour to submit stories and poems to the magazine.’

See here for full details of events and how to book for New Narratives.

For more info on New Writing South.