Writing Wild Issue 14 - New Year Edition
Words from the Wild Women Writers' Salons
Hello, wonderful wild ones. I hope this finds you well and feeling nourished as we continue our hibernation time.
Apologies to anyone who was booked to join us for Salon 14 - The Shape of Faith. Due to author illness, we had to cancel at the last minute. But don’t worry — we will reschedule for 2025, when I will be joined by guest authors Lamya H (Hijab Butch Blues), Dr Sara Glass (Kissing Girls on Shabbat), and Suzanne Joinson (The Museum of Lost and Fragile Things) to explore how belief systems impact identity, relationships, and the stories we tell ourselves and others.
It has been an incredible 13 months of salons. The salons have reached nearly 1000 people worldwide, gathering 43 authors together to share some amazing conversations. It has been an honour and pleasure to host each of these conversations and be a part of helping to grow this community.
Thank you also to everyone who has brought such thoughtful listening to each one and those who have supported the project through subscriptions and engagement online and through the newsletter. Your gentle and generous holding of this space is a precious gift in the creative ecosystem we are growing together.
Unfortunately, my festive break was more literal than planned, and a slight hiatus has been enforced due to injuries sustained in a fall. The 2025 salon programme will begin in March 2025, when I will be joined by more amazing poets, novelists and non-fiction/memoir writers to deep-dive into the inspiration and practice behind the books you see on the shelves.
Due to the need to rest, instead of the usual newsletters, I am lifting the paywall over January- March and sharing links to the 2023/34 programme recordings. After this, the 2023-24 links will be archived and no longer be viewable — so do take the opportunity to catch them before they go. Perfect for those nights as we wait for Spring to return!
Links for Salon 1 - 7 below.
For those who haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription yet, please consider it for the forthcoming programme. Paid subs are vital to helping support the behind-the-scenes work of bringing the salon's programme to everyone. It also gives you access to extra author interviews, writing prompts, reading recommendations, writing opportunities and monthly access to recordings of the salons.
Did you know that you can find all the author books and recommended reads on our Bookshop page, or you can buy author books directly (deliverable worldwide) from Sam Read Booksellers?
Wild Women Writers’ Retreat 2025 (Online) - book now!
Monday 24th – Friday 28th February 2025
Inspiration. Community. Creativity.
Step into a week of creative nourishment, connection, and exploration at the Wild Women Writers’ Retreat 2025 (Online). This immersive retreat is designed to ignite your imagination, enhance your writing, and support your creative journey — from the comfort of your home.
Retreat Highlights:
✨ Daily creative nurture sessions to fuel your inspiration
✨ Writing workshops with authors from the Wild Women Writers’ Salons programme
✨ Industry insight from publishing professionals
✨ Exclusive author readings and conversations
✨ Focused 1:1 feedback on your project or practice
✨ A supportive, sustainable space for your creative practice
✨ Opportunities to connect and write alongside a vibrant community of wild women writers
Sessions will be held via Zoom from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm UK time (Mon - Thurs) and 9.30 - 3.30 pm (Friday).
Daytime workshops will begin at 9.30 and end at 3.30 pm. Sessions are no longer than 2 hours at a time, with breaks built in. Evening sessions are 7 - 8.30 pm. Additional optional events are scheduled outside these times. Regular comfort breaks, creative space, and self-care sessions will be built into the week.
Workshops and evening sessions will be recorded and available for delayed viewing to offer flexibility for all attendees. The only exception to this is when participants share their work.
The retreat number is capped to ensure a nurturing and enriching experience. Writing workshops will be in smaller groups to allow for quality creative time.
Secure your spot today and join us for an inspiring week of creativity, connection, and wild writing!
Only 24 tickets left.
COST: £575. This fee includes all workshops, evening sessions, and 1:1 feedback.
The fee allows us to keep the retreat small while ensuring fair compensation for our authors, tech team, and admin staff, who dedicate their creativity and time to making this event possible.
Early Bird Offer - deadline 24th January
Book before 24th January and receive a free 6-month subscription to the newsletter (April - Sept 2025) and a chance to win a copy of one of the fabulous memoirs from our 2024 programme! (selection of books is random)
Subscription gives you:
access to all newsletters with recordings of all the salons;
additional interviews with our guest authors on their writing and inspirations;
further reading/resources and book suggestions from our guest authors;
writing prompts from our guest authors;
listed opportunities and courses;
the chance to be part of a nurturing community of creative practice!
Supported Places
To increase access, we are offering up to four fully supported places. These are open to low-income carers and/or those living with chronic illness/disability who would otherwise be economically unable to attend. If this is you, please get in touch to find out more. Please note that these places depend on filling paid places to make it possible.
Want to Pay It Forward?
You can sponsor a place or contribute to our bursary fund. Please get in touch with us to discuss this.
What are the Wild Women Writers’ Salons?
The Wild Women Writers’ Salons are on the last Thursday of every month (except December)
With a treasure chest of excellent writers from across the globe, these are different from your regular Zoom sessions or author events. Together, we're creating a welcoming and inspiring space to gather and engage in meaningful conversation and reflection, where writers can share and explore their inspirations and writing journeys.
Each salon will feature three (and sometimes four!) fantastic guest writers. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect:
Dive deep into the world of words.
Hear authors share their works.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.
Real talk about publishing highs and lows.
Engage in some heart-to-heart during the Q&A session.
Remember, ticket sales and paid subscriptions help value and pay all the fantastic people making these salons possible—from behind the scenes to the fabulous authors!
The 2025 Wild Women Writers’ Salons will resume in March 2025 with a new programme of inspiring monthly conversations.
Wild Women Salons 2023 - 2024 (Part 1 — Salons 1 - 7)
To watch salons, please use the links below — these are private Dropbox links. Please respect the manner in which they are shared, and do not share anywhere else. Thank you. Enjoy!
Wild Women Salon 1 — Writing Rural Landscapes & Rural Lives — a deep dive with guest authors Rebecca Smith, Catrina Davies & Nicola Chester.
Wild Women Salon 2 — Earth Matters: Words of Connection & Care - a deep-dive with guest authors Katie Holten, Kerri ni Dochartaigh & Marchelle Farrell.
Wild Women Salon 3 — Writing Memoir as an Act of Creative Reclamation after Trauma — a deep dive with guest authors Lily Dunn, Dr Liz O' Riordan & Rebecca Fogg.
Wild Women Salon 4 — A Wild & Necessary Silence: creativity and solitude— a deep dive with guest authors Gail Simmons, Jade Angeles Fitton & Phoebe Smith.
Wild Women Writers’ Salon 5 — Salt in our Blood: connection, creativity & climate change - a deep dive with guest authors Easkey Britton, Hannah Stowe & Lisa Woollett
Wild Women Writers’ Salon 6 — Entwined Narratives: the creative relationship between visual and written narratives — a deep dive with guest authors Sarah Thomas, Samantha Clark, Amanda Thomson, and Joanna Wolfarth.
Wild Women Writers’ Salon 7 - An Unexpected Joy: grief, nature, and the seeds of radical hope — a deep dive with guest authors Liz Jensen, Freya Bromley, Sophie Pierce & Victoria Bennett
Salons 8 - 13 will feature in the next issue of Writing Wild.
Why Upgrade to Paid?
Be part of the growing Wild Women Writers’ community
The salons are entirely unfunded. All paid subscriptions support the work behind the scenes to make the Wild Women Writers’ Salons and the newsletter happen. In exchange for your support, you receive access to:
access to all previous newsletters with recordings of all the salons;
additional interviews with our guest authors on their writing and inspirations;
further reading/resources and book suggestions from our guest authors;
writing prompts from our guest authors;
listed opportunities and courses;
the chance to be part of a nurturing community of creative practice!
Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription today.
Writing Wild (Wild Women Writers' Salons) is a reader-supported publication. By taking out a paid subscription, you support the work behind the scenes to make this project possible. Thank you.
Self-Care Snippet
‘A creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life.’ Elizabeth Gilbert
Keep writing wild!
Thank you for your support through tickets and subscriptions. Your support helps us value the hard work and creativity of all those involved in bringing the salon programme to life.