I have to endure great pressure, going deep beneath the surface of my mind, into murky, night-black waters, in order to uncover my truest thoughts.
Blog
Yes, you can be a Black, female, funny writer!
From romance to memoir to deep-dive essays, these three Black women writers can’t resist the pull of comedy.
Moniack Mhor diary: my first writing retreat
This space to think and follow my creativity feels natural and strange at the same time.
Writing in an age of collective Islamophobic trauma
There’s a persistent yearning within me that longs for a place I have yet to experience. This liminal space offers me one of many reasons to write. I write to be disobedient, to protest and resist.
The ghosts of bilingual writing
Fear, like writing, is different in every language.
AI and the Future of Freelancing
AI generators have been making headlines splitting hairs over whether software is more help than hindrance in creative fields.
We Can Be Heroes
So few stories feature black and brown children. Why are their stories, experiences and realities not included in the curriculum?
Right Place, Right Time: Reading bell hooks
Caring for someone’s life work means more than sharing a bibliography.
a beech in Scotland does not sleep
I am trying my best to move or stay or survive and each rainy day feel the burning washed deeper, deeper, down me, till gone away for good.
On belonging, hidden gardens and the Patron Saint of airports
Absence has become my currency, and only celebrations of love or death can be a reason big enough to cross the ocean.
Finding Community and Empowerment Through the Readers of Colour Group
It is not a hyperbole to say that Readers of Colour has been life changing.
“Why Do You Fear My Way So Much?”: A moment of crisis in publishing
To publish poetry that speaks to and acknowledges the realities of those marginalized, violated and often demonized by the state is not easy.
A Space to Breathe: reflections on First Breath
Breathing is not just a process, but is an act of expression in the lives that we live individually as people, and collectively as a society.
A Change of Heart
My heart attack came out of the blue. Adjusting to having a stent put in my heart — a foreign piece of metal acting like a bridge keeping my blood vessel open — was difficult to accept for me and my body. All of a sudden, overnight I became a person with a disability but one that no one could see.
Join SBWN Team – Admin and Media Support Part-Time Job
Join the SBWN team as Admin and Media Support! From managing our inbox, maintaining the network’s partnerships or looking after […]
Ledbury Poetry Critics x SBWN: Poetry in Translation Q+A Panel – 10th June 2021
This Q+A Panel Event is a must-see for those interested in poetry criticism and poetry in translation.
SBWN and EDI Scotland Publish Literary Sector Survey Results
Scottish BAME Writers Network and EDI Scotland publish literary sector survey results on the perceptions and experiences of Black and PoC writers in and from Scotland.
Memories and Dreams: Wandering Between Aotearoa’s Volcanic Mountains and Scotland’s Munros
Sometimes when climbing mountains, there is no clear path and I have to make my own through treacherous terrains, but I know leveled-out lands are on the horizon.
‘the cold’ curated by Camara Taylor, in partnership with MAP
We’re delighted to present our recent partnership with MAP: ‘the cold,’ a series curated by Camara Taylor! <<It’s a shame […]
Writers of Colour Writing Group with Hannah Lavery – Summer 2021 Term
A regular monthly workshop for Black writers and writers of colour, led by award-winning poet and playwright, Hannah Lavery.
Writing Workshop: Writing the Body of Colour with Mae Diansangu – 6th May 2021
This workshop provides a space for writers of colour to reconnect with and write about their bodies in a loving way.
Intermediate Craft Seminar: Decolonial [eco]-poetics and poetic cartography with Murid Laly – 17th April 2021
This craft seminar seeks to help develop our ability to reflect and develop decolonial cosmologies in our work.
HarperCollins x SBWN Collaboration – Submissions (now closed)
We are thrilled to announce our new collaboration with Nancy Adimora and HarperCollins UK! Nancy is the Talent & Audience Development Manager at HarperCollins Publishers and submissions of fiction and non-fiction books are now open to Scottish BAME Writers Network members! Find out more about Nancy, why she got into publishing and what the submission process is.
We’re hiring Administration & Media Support!
Scottish BAME Writers Network is looking to hire someone to cover Administration & Media Support for our non-profit organisation. This position will specifically assist with general administrative duties, such as invoicing, managing our inbox and calendar, and updating our website and social media with various opportunities.
Scottish Black Writers Group January – June 2021
Scottish Black Writers Group is a new, free writers group facilitated by our Co-Director Dean Atta and in association with Scottish PEN. It is a monthly meetup open to writers across the UK and Ireland who are Black/from the African diaspora, including people of mixed heritage.
Q&A Session: ‘Demystifying the Publishing Process’ with Nancy Adimora from HarperCollins
We’re delighted to offer a free Q&A session on ‘Demystifying the Publishing Process’ with Nancy Adimora from HarperCollins on 17th, September 2020, 6pm. This session is for Black writers and writers of colour based in Scotland who are working on a fiction or nonfiction manuscript.
Call to Action: Scottish Literary Sector
To the Scottish Literary Sector, At Scottish BAME Writers Network, we are constantly evaluating how effective our programming, opportunities, and […]
Online Palestine Solidarity Space – 11 December 2023
Join us to share resources and ideas, to hold space for collective grief, and to take collective action.
In between
Every and no – thing guiding me into the unknown. I surrender. listen. And leave.
Online Palestine Solidarity Space: virtual tour of Jumana Emil Abboud’s exhibition – 21 November 2023
Join us to share resources and ideas, to hold space for collective grief, and to take collective action.
Non-Fiction Proposals: Next Steps, with Caro Clarke – 25th November 2023
In this follow-up to July’s Q&A on non-fiction book proposals, Caro Clarke from Portobello Literary shares valuable industry insight on how to progress toward publication.
A conversation with Fadzai Mwakutuya: Scottish BPOC Writers Network x Lyth Arts Centre – 27th November 2023
Join us for a conversation & writing workshop with Fadzai Mwakutuya on climate justice, artistic and curatorial practices in the Scottish Highlands.
Into the Wilds: A Climate and Nature Writing Panel – Book Week Scotland 14 Nov, 2023
Gauri Raje and Roshni Gallagher share their experiences on connecting with nature and how it can inspire us to take action in helping our planet. Chaired by Nailah King.
Palestine Solidarity Teach Out: resist and take action – 7 November 2023
Join us to share resources and ideas, to hold space for collective grief, and to take collective action.
SBWN and EDI Scotland Publish Literary Sector Survey Results 2022
Scottish BPOC Writers Network and EDI Scotland publish literary sector survey results on the perceptions and experiences of Black and PoC writers in and from Scotland.
SBWN Palestine Solidarity Statement
It’s about blaming the world for having to grow up. It’s about shouting at the words to mean something.
Asian Writers Group – 18 October 2023
A free writers group for Asian writers in/from Scotland.