Talking Things

talking things

a creative writing course with Adrienne Wilkinson

What is Talking Things?

Talking Things is a creative writing course that encourages us to listen to and engage with our external (and internal!) environment. We will meet for five sessions and embark on gentle and mindful walks as a group, looking out for anything that speaks to us. We will then use these found objects in our writing. You do not need any prior experience of creative writing workshops to take the course. We will go through starting a piece of writing, ideas around structure and look at the redrafting and editing process. The first four weeks will include four short walks and writing prompts to develop your skills and ideas, and in the final week you will have the chance to make zines from course material to take home with you, and invite friends and loved ones to share the space and hear your work (if you like!).

As well as developing your skills, ideas and creativity (and going on some lovely walks), you will also have a zine of work produced to take home with you / share with others.

Dates

The workshop will generally be fortnightly on a Sunday afternoon, although due to working around programming at the Playhouse Theatre, weeks four and five are still to be confirmed. As soon as these weeks are confirmed with me, I will confirm them here and to all those registered with the course. The dates of the final two weeks will be released in January at the very latest, so there will be at least six weeks notice.

The confirmed dates are:

Week one: 1pm-4pm, Sunday 26th January

Week two: 1pm-4pm, Sunday 9th February

Week three: 1pm-4pm, Sunday 23rd February

Week four: TBC

Week five: TBC

Introducing myself

My name is Adrienne and I live in Norwich. I grew up here, before leaving at 18 to live in London. At 22 I moved to Manchester, where I studied English Literature with Creative Writing. In 2021 I moved back to Norwich to undertake the UEA’s Creative Writing: Poetry MA, which I achieved a distinction in. I was working in secondary education up until the end of last academic year, when I left to pursue freelance creative work.

I have written two poetry pamphlets — repeating mouths which was published by Broken Sleep Books in 2021, and lover / priory which will be published by Broken Sleep Books in 2025. My work generally focusses on connection, desire, and the natural world. In 2021 my poem ‘eating god for breakfast’ was Highly Commended for the Bridport Prize, and my poem ‘the reason I can’t do my job application is I miss you’ received an honourable mention from the 2024 New Writers UK Prize. From 2020-2022 I was poetry editor for Asylum, a radical mental health magazine.

Connection and community are very important to me and my work. I also make some music (privately), enjoy cooking and have been recently working on a video editing project. I have two cats called Donovan and Wolf.

What will the sessions look like?

The sessions will loosely take place over three hours with plenty of breaks, in the Playroom at Norwich Playhouse. There are only ten slots for participants so it will be a fairly small group. We will meet at the Playroom, and the sessions will start with a gentle walk. These walks will be no longer than around 30 minutes, unless otherwise discussed and agreed as a group. On these walks you will be encouraged to look out for anything that stands out to you, and either take a picture or if appropriate, pick it up and take it with you.

When we return to the writing table, the thing or things you have picked out will become the portal through which you develop your writing. I will give you short prompts, and there will be room for discussion and discovery, as well as development of ideas and style. You will be given chances to share your work, although there is absolutely no pressure to.

The final hour will be less structured, with opportunities for developing the work we have produced into longer pieces, discussion and sharing, or just enjoy a glass of wine/cup of tea from the bar and connecting with other writers.

The room will be private for the three hour duration; after that point you are more than welcome to stay in the space, however be aware that the room will also be open to members of the public.

Accessibility

The Playroom is in the Playhouse Bar in Norwich. There is step free access. There is an accessible gender neutral toilet with room to manoeuvre a wheelchair, which is just through the bar in the garden. There are also gents/ladies toilets which are down some steps just outside of the playroom.

The bar is just across from the playroom, and you can buy tea/coffee, and a range of soft and alcoholic beverages there, as well as some light snacks. You are of course also welcome to bring your own snacks with you.

The sessions will be fairly informal and you will be welcome to snack, get drinks, and pop out as needed. I will also include structured time for regular breaks.

The playroom is a fairly quiet space, although it is next to the theatre and bar, so sometimes there are crowds nearby. There may be some quiet music in the background. The lighting will be as ambient as possible while still allowing for writing.

The walks themselves will vary in route, however I will give specific information on the route in advance. If there are any particular considerations I need to take into account please let me know and I will adapt to the needs of the group. The walks will be no longer than 30 minutes unless agreed with the group in advance. We will walk at a gentle pace.

If at any point on the course there is something that would make you more comfortable, I encourage you to let me know either in person, or you can send me an email if you prefer.

If you have any other questions, or there is anything I have missed, please get in touch.

Inclusivity

For a creative workshop to function, it is vital that all participants feel safe, secure, and able to express themselves. I value you trusting me with this space and understand that sharing your work and thoughts with a group can be intimidating. All participants will be treated with respect and compassion, and taken in good faith.

In order to ensure the safety of participants, any behaviour or comments that are discriminatory or threaten the safety of others will not be tolerated. If anyone is exhibiting this kind of behaviour they will not be able to continue with the workshops and will not be refunded.

Sliding scale pricing

I want to make this course as accessible as possible, while also paying myself for my time and recouping the costs of the course. Therefore, the course is priced on a sliding scale of £50-£100, working out at ten to twenty pounds a workshop. For this you receive five workshops, writing prompts and feedback on your work, a chance to share work with your friends and family, and a zine of your work to take home.

I have three tiered options available on eventbrite, however should you wish to pay a custom amount or avoid booking frees, fees can be payable via bank transfer or PayPal — please email me for a link at [email protected].

Tickets will be available until January 19th, however there are very limited spaces so the earlier you book the better.

Refund Policy

If you need to refund your ticket, please do so as soon as possible. Full refunds will be given until 14 days prior to the event. Between 14 and 7 days you will be able to recieve a 50% refund. Unfortunatly in the final week before the event ticket sales will stop and you will be unable to recieve a refund.

What to bring

You do not need to bring anything — I will provide pens and notebooks for the sessions. However, you are more than welcome to bring your own writing materials. If you prefer to work on a laptop, you are of course welcome to bring one. Please bear in mind that there is not a secure space to leave belongings while we are walking, so only bring what you are happy to carry.

Drinks and light refreshments are available at the bar.

Host or Publisher adrienne wilkinson