When I applied for this programme, I was an experienced Island-based journalist, who was hoping to move into facilitating creative writing courses. I have long been interested in how landscapes inspire writers. Here on the Isle of Wight, we have beautiful spaces which have inspired the likes of Tennyson, Dickens and many others.
I would like to develop workshops and short courses which provide participants with opportunities to learn more about the chosen writer’s life and do some workshops in the landscape which inspired that writer.
For my Go See, I went to the Bronte Writing Centre at Haworth, West Yorkshire. Haworth was where the Bronte family lived and wrote most of their novels. Their family home now houses the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which I visited.
The Bronte Writing Centre was set up in 2024 by Dr. Michael Stewart, an award-winning writer who has published several best-selling books, and has written for theatre, radio and TV. An experienced tutor, he was head of Creative Writing at Huddersfield University for over seventeen years.
The centre runs several day-long and multi-day writing courses on different aspects of writing throughout the year – both in-person in Haworth or online. Its place-writing courses in-situ in Haworth are the Walk and Write Workshops and the Emily Bronte Summer School. Michael is knowledgeable about the Brontes and his wife, Dr. Claire O’Callaghan, is a Bronte expert.
Unfortunately, I had other commitments and couldn’t do either of these, so instead Michael suggested I should visit during the Write A Novel and Get It Published course – which he was co-tutoring with Dr. Sairish Hussain, a lecturer and published author.
This was a great choice because it meant I got to see both Michael and one of his guest tutors in action – and both were excellent teachers. For each multi-day course, Michael hand-picks guest tutors who have a lot of experience in their field.
Michael told me about the walk to Top Withins that features in the Walk and Write Workshops. Top Withins is thought to have been the inspiration behind the Earnshaw family’s home in Wuthering Heights. Michael also recommended visiting Haworth Church to see the Bronte chapel.
I learned the Bronte Writing Centre is a business, rather than a charity, and as such, there are fees for courses – although Michael tries to keep costs as low as possible, by hiring West Lane Baptist Church, rather than running a space full time.
The centre doesn’t offer accommodation for its courses – many participants are from the surrounding area, and for those further afield, there is a list of recommended accommodation providers to suit all budgets.
The centre doesn’t have staff either – Michael hires guest tutors on a freelance basis. Where I think the centre shines is the sheer knowledge of the tutors – they really do know their stuff. I learned loads about writing, the Bronte family and Haworth during my visit.
If I apply what I learned from the Bronte Writing Centre to my own dreams of running courses on the Isle of Wight, I will have to brush up on my knowledge. While I have just completed my MA Creative Writing and I am working on my Level 3 Award in Education and Training, I don’t have the depth of knowledge about Tennyson and Dickens that Michael and Claire have about the Brontes.
However, I am aware Dickens has a descendant here on the Island, who gives talks. I also have copies of the late Richard J. Hutchings’ books on both Tennyson and Dickens and their time on the Island, so with a bit of studying and a lot of networking and hard work, it may be possible for me to start running writing courses or workshops here.
Part of the value of being on the Cultural Leadership Programme is that it has given me more confidence in my creative abilities and put me in touch with other people who run centres and cultural activities across the Island, so I now feel less like a local reporter, and more like someone who could bring about cultural and creative developments for the Island.
