Date/Time: Wednesday 27th April 2022, 1.00pm to 2.30pm

Venue: Newcastle University

How do you write about history? In this creative writing lecture, poet and researcher John Challis, will talk about his recent work with the Crypt of St Aidan’s in Bamburgh, which houses the Bamburgh ossuary, the last resting place of people who lived there 1400 years ago.

John will present ways of using archives to inspire creative practice and introduce practical approaches to engaging with historical archival material to produce new creative writing.

John Challis is a poet and researcher who has much experience working with contemporary and historic archives. He is currently writer-in-residence at Seaton Delaval Hall, which is maintained by The National Trust, and has spent the last few months exploring the Delaval family archives and writing about the history of the family and the land they owned. His debut collection of poetry is The Resurrectionists (Bloodaxe, 2021). He has received a Pushcart Prize, a Northern Writers’ Award, an Authors’ Foundation grant from The Society of Authors, and was highly commended in the 2021 Forward Prizes for Poetry.

Please note this workshop is open to Newcastle University students only, and the venue will be emailed to you after you have booked a place.