Connecting readers and writers across the region
Short Story Commissions
New Stories for Readers
The West Midlands Readers’ Network links authors with reading groups to facilitate new writing. Each year, reading groups varied in their geographical spread and make up, from city centre, to the heart of the Black Country, from north and south of our region, apply to take part in this short story commissioning project.
We pair a writer with a reading group and fix a date for them to meet. During that initial session the group discuss a wish-list of themes and ideas they want to see in their completed short story. Then we set the clock ticking as the writers produce their bespoke short stories.
When the stories have been completed, we publish them in an anthology and the New Stories for Readers are shared with a wider reading public.
In 2020 we adapted, we found alternative ways to keep in contact, to stay motivated as readers and writers. We were delighted to work with writers: Abda Khan, Carolyn Kirby, Emma Purshouse, Leslie Scase and Lynne Voyce, and with reading groups from Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Birmingham.
In 2021 we worked with Lisa Blower, Naneh Hovhannisyan (you can listen to Naneh's story here), Malachi McIntosh and Ruth Stacey. We also shared a story from the project archives, written in 2005 by David Nobbs. This time we paired up with reading groups in Trentham, Market Drayton, Birmingham, and an online facebook group run by Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service.
2022's cohort of writers were Michael Amherst, Stephanie Carty, Fran Hill, Elizabeth Lee and Jane Rogers, working with groups from Birmingham, Solihull, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.
The 2023 project paired writers Liam Brown, R.M Francis, Caroline Lea, Rachel New and Mandy Ross with reading groups in Wolverhampton, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.