Big Writing for a Small World was a partnership project with English PEN, a London-based charity working to promote literature and human rights. This national project featured a mini writer-in-residency programme hosted by refugee centres across the country and aimed to enable refugees & asylum seekers to write short pieces towards a book which would be launched nationally. CAN hosted the North West element of this national project.
John Siddique delivered 13 creative writing workshops to 13 participants from a range of refugee and migrant backgrounds between November 2011 & April 2012. The workshops were extremely well received by project participants who commented on John’s creativity and inspirational sessions. The sessions resulted in participants producing poetry or prose for a book which brought together writings from the national project.
The book was launched at Nexus Arts Café on 1 May 2012 and the event was an intimate and welcoming sharing of local participant’s work, featuring a DJ and food.
There is a strong desire from the core group of participants to continue this project and a venue is currently being sought for monthly sessions.