Quay Words announces Dr Ellen Wiles will be its Spring writer-in-residence
Published: 7 January 2022
A partnership dedicated to promoting literature in the city has announced Dr Ellen Wiles will be its writer-in-residence at Exeter Custom House in March and April.
Ellen will explore the Quay Words theme of Science for its Spring Season.
She will be in residence during March-April 2022 and during the Easter school holiday, and will lead a creative writing-walking workshop for families.
Ellen will host a conversation with scientists on Climate Science and Creativity as the April Quay Words monthly event. Ultimately, she hopes to create a new piece of writing presented as an audio performance or ‘Sound Event’.
Ellen said: “I am delighted to have been chosen as Quay Words’ next writer-in-residence to respond to their new theme: Science. As the climate and ecological crises intensify, scientific knowledge about our fast-changing landscapes is more important than ever, and I’m excited by the possibilities for literary storytelling as a portal for new audiences to engage with science research.
“I am really looking forward to composing a new piece of literary writing inspired by conversations with scientists that explores Devon’s riverscapes in the context of climate change.”
Ellen is a novelist, anthropologist, curator, and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Exeter University. She is the author of three books: The Invisible Crowd (2017), a novel, and two non-fiction books about literary culture, Saffron Shadows (2015) and Live Literature (2021).
Ellen has worked as a human rights barrister and as a musician, and her interests in literary activism, sound, and walking, have led her to develop a new project to create literary soundwalks in collaboration with scientists exploring matters of ecology and climate change. Her website is www.ellenwiles.com
Quay Words is a partnership between Exeter Canal and Quay Trust and Literature Works, the literature development charity for South West England.
Quay Words is based at the historic Exeter Custom House on Exeter Quayside and showcases literature as an accessible and diverse art form. Funded by Arts Council England and Exeter Canal and Quay Trust, Quay Words is developing this Grade 1 listed building as a hub for literature at the heart of Exeter as a UNESCO City of Literature.
For more information on Quay Words visit www.exetercustomhouse.org.uk