AWARD-WINNING author Kerry Hudson is to help lead a writing circle for new mums.
The groups will meet working authors and storytellers who successfully manage to write and raise a family, including actor and writer Adura Onashile.
Hudson said she was delighted to be asked to co-lead some of the sessions, which will be held in Glasgow from this November until December next year.
“I was a first-time mum in a foreign country during a pandemic when I came across The New Mothers’ Writing Circle on Instagram and instantly knew I wanted to be involved,” she said.
“Motherhood is often like inhabiting a whole new life, in a whole new country, in a whole new body and I know continuing to write allowed me to anchor myself while also trying to understand and interpret the wild seas of new motherhood.
“I believe that creativity, time for yourself, moments to truly explore what’s happening can be a gift in motherhood and for the whole family to look back on too.”
The workshops will have a relaxed atmosphere and the mums will be encouraged to respond to their babies as needed.
The project is funded by Creative Scotland and there is financial support for mothers who might not otherwise be able to attend. It builds on the success of a pilot in 2020, which was delivered on Zoom due to the pandemic.
Previous participants, such as Saima Sheikh, will also co-lead occasional workshops.
She said: “Being on The New Mothers’ Writing Circle was my anchor during Covid. It was a place for a collective outpouring of grief, joy, anger and, also, the peace that comes from being held by those who have experienced motherhood.
“It gave me the confidence to be heard, to feel pride in my writing and to enjoy the liberation one feels when they write their heart out – which I continue to do.”
Founder and director Catrin Kemp said she wanted to encourage mums who would not typically engage with a literature or arts project to register to take part for free.
The New Mothers’ Writing Circle will take place at the Arlington Baths Club Reading Room. More information can be found at: www.newmumswriting.co.uk/get-involved
