We are thrilled to announce the new cohort of 15 Room 204 writers-in-development. The programme started in 2012 and they will join 175 others who have been part of the scheme since its inception.
Each year, Writing West Midlands opens for submissions from emerging writers from across the West Midlands region, writing in all genres, from poetry to screenwriting to fiction and narrative non-fiction. This year we had around 130 applications.
The initial Room 204 meeting took place on Saturday 15 April 2023 at the Writing West Midlands offices in Birmingham. The new cohort had the opportunity to meet each other and staff members, Jonathan Davidson and Olivia Chapman, where they learnt more about the year to come and had their author photos taken by photographer, Paul Stringer.
The new cohort of Room 204 starts in April 2023. The writers will be embarking on a year of support through workshops and one to one meetings with Jonathan Davidson, our Chief Executive.
The 2023 Room 204 cohort is:
Oluwaseun Oluwatosin Akinsiku
Karen Arnold
Emily Barker
Charley Barnes
Joely (Jo) Dutton
Dan Gutteridge
Sayan Kent
Liz Lefroy
Natalie Linh Bolderston
Jo Murch
Temitayo Olofinlua
Sallyanne Rock
Jamie Russell
Bethany Wheeler
Daniel Williams