"The Best Advice" - A Writing Panel with The Royal Literary Fund

About

The Royal Literary Fund (Britain's oldest literary charity) presents a programme of public events across the South West designed to foster engagement with writing and contemporary authors.

This time, the panel will explore the theme The Best Advice (I Received As a Writer,) bringing together three regionally based RLF writers - all nationally acclaimed authors and poets working across different genres.

Each panellist will read a short original piece in response to the theme, followed by a dynamic, chaired discussion reflecting on craft, hindsight, identity and the evolving writer's voice.

Join us live in the Library; with writers Louisa Adjoa Parker, Rebecca Tantony and Matt Bryden for this very special one-off event.

Matt Bryden's first pamphlet Night Porter won the 2010 Templar Pamphlet Prize, and his first full collection, Boxing the Compass, was published in 2013. His recent pamphlet The Glassblower's House won the 2023 Live Canon Pamphlet Competition. His poetry has received numerous awards, including a Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature. Alongside his writing, Matt has supported young writers nationwide through teaching, mentoring and innovative educational projects. He lives in Devon with his daughter.

Louisa Adjoa Parker is a writer and poet of Ghanaian and English heritage who lives in south-west England. She is the author of the short story collection Stay with Me and several poetry collections, including How to Wear a Skin and She Can Still Sing. Her work has appeared widely in journals and anthologies, including New Daughters of Africa. Louisa has also written extensively on ethnically diverse history in the South West and is a sought-after speaker on rural racism, Black history and mental health. She also works as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion consultant.

Rebecca Tantony is the author of three poetry and flash nonfiction collections published by Burning Eye Books. She holds a First Class degree and MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she later taught. Her work has been commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and Nowness, and she has performed internationally at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum and Southbank Centre. Rebecca curates literature programmes for major festivals and teaches at writing centres in the UK and abroad.