Meet the Creatives - Literary Arts Festival 2026
Across 12th and 13th September 2026, an extraordinary collection of poets, authors, performers and creatives will take to the stage at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall — many of them local to the area, all of them with a story worth hearing.
Learn more about them here:
Emily Holtom Pop-Up Typewriter Poetry
All day, Saturday & Sunday
Give her a word and walk away with a poem.
Local poet Emily Holtom is one of the most distinctive and warmly received poets on the circuit right now, and she’s bringing her vintage typewriter to Sutton Coldfield. This appearance follows a six-month poetry residency in Knowle in 2025 and festival appearances across the UK.
Across both festival days, Emily will be writing custom poems on demand, inspired by the people, places and conversations around her. Stop by, share a word, a thought, a feeling or a story, and watch her transform it into something entirely your own, typed live and gifted on the spot. Dreamy, whimsical and rooted in real human moments — this is poetry as it was always meant to be. No booking required.
Drop-in, both days free.
Pritchy Prints Pop-Up Screen Printing — Festival Tote Bags
All day, Saturday & Sunday
Take a little piece of the festival home with you.
Pritchy Prints are bringing a hands-on screen-printing experience to the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival, and you're invited to get involved. A creative drop-in activity for all ages and abilities, this is messy, feel-good making at its very best.
Print your own exclusive Literary Arts Festival tote bag on-site for just £10 - a unique festival keepsake you won't find anywhere else. No booking needed, just come along, roll up your sleeves and make something you'll actually love.
Drop-in, £10 per tote bag
Saida Chowdhury A Journey Through 'Broken Minds'
11:30am - 12:30pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
Birmingham-based poet Saida Chowdhury published her debut poetry collection Broken Minds — Volume 1 in September 2025, after two decades of writing and finally finding her voice in late 2024. Published by Hugh Ashton of j-views Publishing, the collection applies the Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi — the art of repairing broken pottery with molten gold, accentuating the cracks rather than hiding them — to human trauma, emotional scars and the power of coming together to heal.
In this deeply personal and moving session, Saida will share the journey behind the collection — the people who supported her, the philosophy that shaped it and the ongoing need to remove the stigma around mental health. Expect readings from Volume 1, a sneaky peek at Volume 2, and a conversation that will stay with you long after you leave the room.
Sheryl Bolden Small Changes, Big Impact: How to Shop for Good Without Breaking the Bank
11:30am - 12:30pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
We all want to shop better. But where do you actually start?
Sheryl Bolden brings over 20 years of retail experience across global brands, independent businesses and the charity sector to the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival - and with it, an honest and practical perspective on how our everyday shopping habits shape the world around us. From fast fashion to working in the charity sector, Sheryl reflects on her own personal journey and how it changed the way she shops and thinks about consumption.
Covering why small businesses often cost more than supermarkets and what that really means, simple and realistic tips for shopping more consciously without stretching your budget, and the vital role charity shops play in supporting local communities, this is a session that is refreshingly free of guilt and preaching.
Claire Bennett Getting to the Heart of the Story
11:30am - 12:30pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
Your next story is already out there - you just need to find it.
Award-winning writer Claire Bennett brings a workshop designed to spark, ignite and unleash your inner storyteller to the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival. Using her own short story Ten Shillings Well Spent — set right here in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, written on commission from The Ruskin Mill Trust and The New Standard Works — Claire will walk you through the evolution of a short story from first idea to finished page.
Covering inspiration, character, dialogue and narrative structure, this session is packed with short exercises for creative sparking and plenty of fun. Whether you've been writing for years or have never put pen to paper, you are welcome here.
Lee Benson Reality versus Creativity
12:45pm - 1:45pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
From running one of Birmingham's most famous art galleries to becoming the artist himself, author and children's writer Lee Benson has lived a creative life that would make for a novel in itself. With 12 children's books published and a regular spot as a World Book Day school author, Lee brings warmth, wit and a brilliant story of his own to our stage.
In this entertaining and heartfelt talk, Lee explores the humorous and surprising ways that the people we meet shape the stories we tell.
Lindsay Woodward Hooked: How to Write Page-Turning Fiction
12:45pm - 1:45pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
What makes you turn the page at midnight when you should be asleep?
Author Lindsay Woodward has spent her career writing across romance, horror, comedy and science fiction. In this practical and illuminating talk, Lindsay breaks down the key elements behind truly gripping fiction — from building characters with real emotional stakes to structuring a story that maintains momentum all the way to the end.
Covering tension, twists, pacing and planning, and drawing on examples from her own work, Lindsay offers a clear and structured approach to writing fiction that feels natural, compelling and impossible to put down.
Catherine Redford The Way the Water Held Me
2:00pm - 3:00pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
Poet Catherine Redford's debut collection The Way the Water Held Me was born from one of life's most profound experiences — caring for, and losing, a beloved partner. Newly married and expecting their first child, Catherine's wife was tragically diagnosed with a terminal illness. What followed became this visceral, profound and deeply human collection — a mesmeric journey through caring, grief, love and loss, woven together with an unlikely companionship with a widowed Mary Shelley.
Described by Liz Berry as "a beautiful, heartbreaking book" and by Fiona Benson as "essential, transformative reading," Catherine will read from the collection and discuss the inspiration behind her poems, with the session concluding in a Q&A with the audience.
David Lowe TV Theme Music Composition Workshop
2:00pm - 3:30pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
David Lowe is one of the most prolific and recognisable composers in British television history — the creative mind behind the theme tunes to the BBC News, The One Show, Countryfile, Grand Designs and Panorama, among many others. His music has soundtracked the daily lives of millions of people across the UK for decades.
At the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival, David is inviting you into his creative process in a hands-on composition workshop. Together, you'll create a brand new theme tune from scratch, learning about writing, recording and the craft behind the music that defines our television landscape.
Rachel Sambrooks Finding the Funny — A Comedy Writing Workshop
2:00pm - 3:00pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
Award-winning comedy writer and performer Rach Sambrooks — Runner Up in the 2025 Comedy Women in Print Prize — is bringing a joyful and hilarious workshop to the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival. Whether you've always wanted to make people laugh on the page or simply want to add a little more wit to your writing, this is the session for you.
Rach will introduce you to games, characters, ideas and topics designed to unlock your comic voice.
Sally Jenkins Richard Osman and Me
3:15pm - 4:15pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
Author Sally Jenkins has one of the most honest and inspiring publishing journeys you'll hear — from winning prizes for letters published in women's magazines in the 1990s, through articles, short stories, self-publishing and partnership publishing, to achieving literary agent representation, parting company with that agent, and eventually signing a five-book deal with Joffe Books. Along the way, she'll reveal her tenuous but delightful connection to Richard Osman and his writing career.
In this warm, funny and motivating talk, Sally shares the real story behind her novel Little Museum of Hope and everything it took to get there.
Catherine Redford Blast from the Past — Writing Historical Figures into Your Poetry
4:30pm - 5:30pm, Saturday 12th September 2026
What would Queen Victoria order at Wetherspoons?
Forward-nominated poet Catherine Redford joins the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival with a playful and imaginative writing workshop exploring one of poetry's most joyful techniques: bringing historical figures into the modern world, or travelling back in time to meet them.
Through a range of imaginative exercises, Catherine will explore how anachronism and fresh perspective can unlock some of the most surprising and exciting writing you'll ever do. Just come ready to have fun with time, history and language.
Floodgate Press Fact, Fiction and Everything in Between
4:30pm - 5:30pm
Peter Haynes and Nigel Proctor founded Floodgate Press right here in Birmingham — an independent publishing house with a growing list of titles and a clear vision for what local storytelling can achieve. In this fascinating double session, Peter and Nigel will share the story behind why they set up the press, the books they've published so far, what they look for in submissions and what's coming next, including their forthcoming collection The Ghosts of Gravelly Hill.
Nigel will also discuss his debut novel Fire Damage — a gripping police procedural set during the Birmingham Blitz in November 1940, inspired by real family stories. A sequel, Fire Break, is due in spring 2027. Both sections include a Q&A.
Anna Byk In Conversation with Local Author Anna Byk
11:30am - 12:30pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
Local author Anna Byk joins us at the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival to discuss her debut novel It's Never Really Over - a contemporary story of five interconnected women, their lost lovers, missed opportunities, fortunes and failures, and the quiet persistence of fate that pushes each of them exactly where they need to be.
Partially set in Warwickshire with nods to Stratford, Shakespeare and the wider region, the novel is written in a monologue style with each woman telling her own story, from present to past and back again. Anna will discuss her writing journey, the publishing process including self-publishing, and what it took to bring these five voices to life. The session concludes with a Q&A and the opportunity to purchase signed copies.
Dawn Abigail The Charm Bracelet - A Poetry Performance by Dawn The Poet
11:30am - 12:30pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
Poet and performer Dawn Abigail has been captivating audiences across the UK with her original work — appearing on Brum Radio Poets, WM Radio and at venues nationwide, with her poetry also available on the Overhear app. Built on her acting and storytelling skills, Dawn's performances are intimate, engaging and alive with the full spectrum of human experience.
The Charm Bracelet is a carefully curated selection of Dawn's original work, woven around a circular journey through life's most defining moments. Sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always deeply human — each piece is a snapshot of the thoughts and feelings we all encounter, rendered with warmth, wit and honesty.
B Wheeler Twisted Tales Writing Workshop
12:45pm - 1:45pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
Fairytales are great. But what if we broke them?
Author B Wheeler, writer of teen romcom How NOT To Kiss A Prince, is bringing a brilliant and imaginative workshop to the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival. You'll identify the common themes and symbols in popular fairytales, then twist those tropes to create something entirely your own - a story that's familiar and surprising all at once.
Ideal for young writers aged 12—16 but open to everyone, all materials are provided and no experience is necessary. Just come ready to break some rules and write something wonderfully unexpected.
Gary Phelps Urban Gothic: The True Ghost Stories Behind Chilling Thriller '13 Doors'
12:45pm - 1:45pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
Award-winning news journalist GJ Phelps has always been fascinated by real ghost stories, and during a 30-year newspaper career, including editing the Royal Sutton Coldfield Observer, he collected dozens of unexplainable reports that came into newsrooms across the country. Now he has used these to inspire his chilling supernatural thriller 13 Doors.
In this compelling and spine-tingling talk, Gary will explain the dark logic behind the book, and share some of the true stories that reporters simply couldn't explain - including plenty from right here in Sutton Coldfield… and he wants to hear your ghost stories too!
A.R. Lerwill Finding Healthy Role Models in Literature
2:00pm - 3:00pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
In a world of the Manosphere, where are the role models young men actually need?
Speculative fiction author A.R. Lerwill has been thinking deeply about this question, and at the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival, he's bringing that conversation into the open. With reading for pleasure declining amongst boys and young men and the Manosphere on the rise, this timely and important talk explores whether literature still has the power to inspire the next generation of young men, and how A.R. Lerwill deliberately crafts his own characters to do exactly that.
Drawing on his own experiences and his approach to writing, this is a session that goes well beyond the page — a conversation our community needs to have.
2:00pm - 3:00pm, Sunday 13th September 2026
Martin’s first love was music, something never to be eclipsed!
His fiction finds private investigators loving The Beatles and rock stars purchasing haunted houses. Martin penned the biographies: HEARTLINE: The Authorised Biography of Robin George and WE HAD A …FUZZBOX… AND WE USED IT!!!: The Authorised Biography of FUZZBOX.
Martin wrote the introductions to the Duran Duran En Scene series, featuring Paul Edmond’s iconic images of Birmingham’s Music/Fashion scene (1979-1982), alongside forewords by the likes of Boy George.
So, roll up for a Magical Mystery Tour of music and literature – including the light and shade of Martin’s own fascinating journey.
The programme is still growing. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for regular updates.