Expressing yourself and crafting an object have long been studied and considered a way to relieve stress and emotional turbulence. We are told that “talking helps” and that making “something out of nothing” can make us feel better. Writing is a form of speech. And so, as part of the Festival of Libraries, we would like to invite you to take part in a Writing for Wellbeing Workshop, which will be facilitated by professional writers from the Centre for New Writing at The University of Manchester.

The Centre for New Writing has been involved with projects working with readers and writers from all walks of life and backgrounds, and have included poetry competition for Schools, micropoetry built for Twitter, book clubs discussing classic and new poems, moonbounce sessions at Jodrell Bank which saw new poems written and sent to the moon (and back), and wellbeing sessions at the city’s libraries, museums and galleries. We know first-hand the effects that creative writing can have, and we are delighted to offer these sessions for interested readers and writers, and those who are curious about creative writing as part of their own personal wellbeing.