Steve Dearden
@stevedearden.bsky.social
It’s been a pleasure helping Shehla Ali bring this into the world. Not just for the hope despite ghosting by medical professionals as she sought diagnosis of invisible FND, but also its honesty about attitudes to illness among family and the community. Buy @ www.aboutme.group/store
July 17, 2026 at 2:27 PM
It’s been a pleasure helping Shehla Ali bring this into the world. Not just for the hope despite ghosting by medical professionals as she sought diagnosis of invisible FND, but also its honesty about attitudes to illness among family and the community. Buy @ www.aboutme.group/store
“An intense, compelling romantic novel for young adults and old” - the debut from a Squad grad Ellen Osborne arrives at Squad HQ!! Out this week from Guppy Books!! www.writingsquad.com/book-shelf/
May 15, 2026 at 8:18 AM
“An intense, compelling romantic novel for young adults and old” - the debut from a Squad grad Ellen Osborne arrives at Squad HQ!! Out this week from Guppy Books!! www.writingsquad.com/book-shelf/
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Around Sheffield on Wednesday night? Queer Poets Reading brings together three poets living in Sheffield to celebrate queer poetry in the National Year of Reading. Free tickets!
Queer Poets Reading - The Writing Squad
Sheffield poets Sarah Lasoye, Eden Chicken and Beth Davies (Sheffield Poet Laureate) in conversation about their work with Susie Wilson.
www.writingsquad.com
April 20, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Around Sheffield on Wednesday night? Queer Poets Reading brings together three poets living in Sheffield to celebrate queer poetry in the National Year of Reading. Free tickets!
Reposted by Steve Dearden
In my conversation with @kymdeyn.bsky.social we explore how they use punctuation in their debut collection Folkish, how Tarot card reading can be like structured improv, and the importance of tricksters.
Listen wherever good podcasts can be heard
Listen wherever good podcasts can be heard
Episode 48: Kym Deyn - "My poetry goes squelch"
open.spotify.com
April 20, 2026 at 6:15 AM
In my conversation with @kymdeyn.bsky.social we explore how they use punctuation in their debut collection Folkish, how Tarot card reading can be like structured improv, and the importance of tricksters.
Listen wherever good podcasts can be heard
Listen wherever good podcasts can be heard
Always a good start to the week when you receive new books by a Squad writer, especially when it’s a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and contains big thanks to Squad mentor Stevie Ronnie! ninearchespress.com/publications...
April 20, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Always a good start to the week when you receive new books by a Squad writer, especially when it’s a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and contains big thanks to Squad mentor Stevie Ronnie! ninearchespress.com/publications...
The Writing Squad “collective” - I like the sound of that! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'I'm annoyed I'd never heard of fulfilling Elizabeth Gaskell'
Works from writers-in-residence inspired by the Victorian novelist are published in a new book.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 1, 2026 at 9:36 AM
The Writing Squad “collective” - I like the sound of that! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Four brilliant pieces from four brilliant Writing Squad writers in Writing the Archive 2 - responding to Manchester Poetry Library, MMU Special Collections and the Northern Film Archive www.writingsquad.com/push/issues/...
ISSUE 20 - The Writing Squad
www.writingsquad.com
December 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Four brilliant pieces from four brilliant Writing Squad writers in Writing the Archive 2 - responding to Manchester Poetry Library, MMU Special Collections and the Northern Film Archive www.writingsquad.com/push/issues/...
If you get a chance to catch this brilliant, funny, heartbreaking play by Writing Squad team member Emma
Adams - then late your way to Bradford!!
Adams - then late your way to Bradford!!
Otherhood | Bradford 2025
A story of radical love and found family.
bradford2025.co.uk
September 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
If you get a chance to catch this brilliant, funny, heartbreaking play by Writing Squad team member Emma
Adams - then late your way to Bradford!!
Adams - then late your way to Bradford!!
Chatted to Wakefield Museums Senior Curator Steph Webb re possible Squad collaborations. God wasn’t in Creative Cafe today but it was nice to feel the presence of characters from my online novella for - still trapped in my story or a decade older? Judge for yourself at wakelost dot com
August 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Chatted to Wakefield Museums Senior Curator Steph Webb re possible Squad collaborations. God wasn’t in Creative Cafe today but it was nice to feel the presence of characters from my online novella for - still trapped in my story or a decade older? Judge for yourself at wakelost dot com
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Delving back into all the wonderful thoughts, prompts, conversations Squad writers have had as Poetry Business Digital Writers in Residence here's a weird dialogue and some found jewels from our first handover between Helen Bowell and Lenni Sanders poetrybusiness.co.uk/2021/03/06/l...
Lenni Sanders and Helen Bowell: a weird dialogue - The Poetry Business
Helen Bowell & Lenni Sanders, our February & March Digital Poets-in-Residence create a collaborative poem using answers from questions presented to TPB's Twitter followers...
poetrybusiness.co.uk
August 15, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Delving back into all the wonderful thoughts, prompts, conversations Squad writers have had as Poetry Business Digital Writers in Residence here's a weird dialogue and some found jewels from our first handover between Helen Bowell and Lenni Sanders poetrybusiness.co.uk/2021/03/06/l...
Just been to this excellent one person show/musical by recent Writing Squad recruit Eli Yim - moving, funny, pulls no mental health punches if you’re near Buxton tomorrow afternoon catch their last performance www.writingsquad.com/event/the-ea...
The Easy Way Out at Buxton Fringe - The Writing Squad
www.writingsquad.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Just been to this excellent one person show/musical by recent Writing Squad recruit Eli Yim - moving, funny, pulls no mental health punches if you’re near Buxton tomorrow afternoon catch their last performance www.writingsquad.com/event/the-ea...
Reposted by Steve Dearden
The Home Office could allow them in with a click of their fingers (as they did with Ukrainian and Afghan visas) but they’re refusing, write to your local MP now. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
The Gaza students with scholarships to UK unable to take up their places
Visa obstacles threaten to dash the hopes of 40 students due to start in September. Here are some of their stories
www.theguardian.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The Home Office could allow them in with a click of their fingers (as they did with Ukrainian and Afghan visas) but they’re refusing, write to your local MP now. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Reposted by Steve Dearden
On 2 August, head to SHORTS at Stockroom for 3 new short plays - one by new Squad 12 member Sadie Pearson!
buff.ly
July 17, 2025 at 9:31 AM
On 2 August, head to SHORTS at Stockroom for 3 new short plays - one by new Squad 12 member Sadie Pearson!
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Mack Sproates has been made a New Writing North Emerging Creative Associate 2025! Mack is one of ten early career writers and artists who are receiving bursaries, individual mentoring, training and networking over six months 🤩
Mack is a New Writing North Creative Associate - The Writing Squad
buff.ly
July 24, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Mack Sproates has been made a New Writing North Emerging Creative Associate 2025! Mack is one of ten early career writers and artists who are receiving bursaries, individual mentoring, training and networking over six months 🤩
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Some fabulous Squad reviewers have been working with the Poetry Book Society recently: Tayiba Sulaiman, Gregory Kearns, Kayleigh Jayshree, Jasmine Gray, Beth Davies and Jenny Danes! You can check out their work in the Summer & Autumn bulletins 🗞️
Meet our poet selectors - The Poetry Book Society
Our expert team of poet selectors read hundreds of poetry books and pamphlets, submitted in an open call to all publishers big and small.
buff.ly
July 24, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Some fabulous Squad reviewers have been working with the Poetry Book Society recently: Tayiba Sulaiman, Gregory Kearns, Kayleigh Jayshree, Jasmine Gray, Beth Davies and Jenny Danes! You can check out their work in the Summer & Autumn bulletins 🗞️
This morning’s treasure at the Writing Squad hq!
July 11, 2025 at 9:36 AM
This morning’s treasure at the Writing Squad hq!
Fantastic to watch the live stream of Malika Booker dancing to receive her Doctorate at the Uni of Newcastle - we are so lucky to have her as a member of the Writing Squad’s Core Team!
July 9, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Fantastic to watch the live stream of Malika Booker dancing to receive her Doctorate at the Uni of Newcastle - we are so lucky to have her as a member of the Writing Squad’s Core Team!
Reposted by Steve Dearden
No idea if you’re in Aarhus tomorrow but, if you happen to be, drop by at Godsbanen, Vogn 1 at 19.30 to listen to what this lot cooked up in Aalborg last April and over the last few days here, and if you can’t catch us then, we’ll be at Manchester Literature Festival in October.
June 17, 2025 at 9:48 PM
No idea if you’re in Aarhus tomorrow but, if you happen to be, drop by at Godsbanen, Vogn 1 at 19.30 to listen to what this lot cooked up in Aalborg last April and over the last few days here, and if you can’t catch us then, we’ll be at Manchester Literature Festival in October.
Always good to see a Writing Squad writer and erstwhile colleague’s work on a main stage - catch Billie Collins brilliant The Walrus has a Right to Adventure at Liverpool Everyman until June 21st.
June 12, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Always good to see a Writing Squad writer and erstwhile colleague’s work on a main stage - catch Billie Collins brilliant The Walrus has a Right to Adventure at Liverpool Everyman until June 21st.
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Welcome back Mr Frog! Welcome to Squad 12! Our first Workshop with new Squad recruits was in Leeds today with Core Team member Emma Adams. In How to Find Your Focus we reminded ourselves to play, sketch, is watch, listen, start stuff then do something completely different!
June 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Welcome back Mr Frog! Welcome to Squad 12! Our first Workshop with new Squad recruits was in Leeds today with Core Team member Emma Adams. In How to Find Your Focus we reminded ourselves to play, sketch, is watch, listen, start stuff then do something completely different!
Treasure arrives at HQ @thewritingsquad.bsky.social
May 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Treasure arrives at HQ @thewritingsquad.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Dearden
All lines lead to York today for Nowhere Places, Squad writers working with @stevieronnie & @SteveDearden to devise and produce personal projects in response to the climate crisis.
May 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM
All lines lead to York today for Nowhere Places, Squad writers working with @stevieronnie & @SteveDearden to devise and produce personal projects in response to the climate crisis.
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Congratulations to Amy Luxton, who has won The Bridge Awards /Moniack Mhor 2025 Emerging Writer Award! This award provides focused development support for emerging writers of fiction 🏆
Amy Wins The Bridge Awards /Moniack Mhor 2025 Emerging Writer Award - The Writing Squad
buff.ly
May 23, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Congratulations to Amy Luxton, who has won The Bridge Awards /Moniack Mhor 2025 Emerging Writer Award! This award provides focused development support for emerging writers of fiction 🏆
Reposted by Steve Dearden
My interview with Hera Lindsay Bird dropped this morning. Check it out!
We talked about her super fandom of the writer Mark Leidner, children’s literature and the New Zealand poetry scene.
Find it on Spotify here
We talked about her super fandom of the writer Mark Leidner, children’s literature and the New Zealand poetry scene.
Find it on Spotify here
Episode 12: Hera Lindsay Bird
The Poems We Made Along The Way · Episode
open.spotify.com
April 14, 2025 at 7:54 AM
My interview with Hera Lindsay Bird dropped this morning. Check it out!
We talked about her super fandom of the writer Mark Leidner, children’s literature and the New Zealand poetry scene.
Find it on Spotify here
We talked about her super fandom of the writer Mark Leidner, children’s literature and the New Zealand poetry scene.
Find it on Spotify here
Reposted by Steve Dearden
Issue 11.5 of Carmen et Error is here! A gorgeous, queer and very tender issue, courtesy of our guest editor Chloe Elliott. 💚
carmenerror.com?page_id=510
carmenerror.com?page_id=510
Issue 11.5 - Carmen et Error
t-boy brotherhood (for Jay)by Louie Rudge i’ll tell you something/ i hated myselftil i met you/ saw the sun lift you outof your boots/ it’s not fair, so many of uswanting to die in the dark because th...
carmenerror.com
April 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Issue 11.5 of Carmen et Error is here! A gorgeous, queer and very tender issue, courtesy of our guest editor Chloe Elliott. 💚
carmenerror.com?page_id=510
carmenerror.com?page_id=510