We are thrilled to announce the return of our digital residency programme. In our upcoming run of residences, we are partnering with the Sheffield-based hub of new writing talent, Hive South Yorkshire, to bring you three unique residencies from three exciting young writers.
Throughout May, June and July, Hive writers Maia Brown, Beth Davies and Luke Worthy will produce digital content for The Poetry Business in the form of blog posts, audio recordings, writing prompts and more. With support from The Poetry Business and Hive, our three poets will create and share their work on our platforms, exploring any themes they wish to explore, and interacting with you, the audience, in any which way they please.
About Hive
Hive Young Writers’ Network is a writer development project for young writers (aged 14 to 30). Through writing groups, writers’ days with professional writers, partnership projects, mentorship, competitions, publications and live events, Hive support young writers to develop – whatever their background, experience or interest.
South Yorkshire has an abundance of talented young poets, many of whom are part of the Hive Young Writers network and members of Hive groups in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster & Rotherham. Among them are prize winners of accolades such as Foyle Young Poet of the Year, the Young Northern Writers Award and the New Poets Prize.
For more information: www.hivesouthyorkshire.com
Maia Brown: Digital Poet-In-Residence for May
Maia Brown is a poet studying Anthropology, Archaeology and Art History at UEA. She is an alumnus of Doncaster Young Writers and a member of the Writing Squad and Hive Poetry. Maia’s work has been published in journals including Matter and Push magazine, and Hive anthologies Halfway Smile and Surfing the Twilight. In 2020, she won second prize in the Engaging Images competition, and third prize in the Hive writing competition 2021. Maia has been commissioned to write poems for various projects including Ripples of Hope Festival for human rights in 2021, and the Birdlife podcast 2019. She’s delivered gallery talks, judged children’s poetry competitions, run creative writing workshops for young and read her work at various events including Sheaf Poetry Festival.
“I like exploring different forms and using found text scavenged from the world to influence my work. These include museum labels, badly translated washing instructions and lyrics I’ve heard in dreams. Subject wise, I’m interested in everything from art and science to history and the natural world. Because of this, I’m likely to work with a few different ideas, so watch this space!”
Beth Davies: Digital Poet-In-Residence for June
Beth Davies (she/her) is an emerging poet based in Sheffield and a member of Hive Poetry Collective. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Wales, Atrium, Rust + Moth, and The Kindling, as well as in anthologies such as Candlestick Press’ Ten Poems about Flowers and Valley Press’ Verse Matters. She won second place in the 2021 Dead Cat Poetry Prize and was shortlisted in the 2021 New Poets Prize. She is a graduate of Sheffield Young Writers, The Writing Squad and of Durham University Slam Team. More information about her work can be found at bethdaviespoet.wordpress.com
“My poems tend to arise from musing on memories and moments from my own life, and I’m excited to play with those musings in a new way through combining prose and poetry during my online residency.”
Luke Worthy: Digital Poet-In-Residence for July
Luke Worthy is a poet and fiction writer from Sheffield based in Amsterdam. His work has been published in various journals and anthologies including Poetry Wales, Youth Word Up, Halfway Smile (2018) and Surfing the Twilight (2019). His work was shortlisted for the 2021 New Poet’s Prize. In 2019, he was shortlisted in the Street Cake Experimental Writing Prize, and a featured poet in Eelyn Lee’s Britishness documentary. Luke is an alumnus of Sheffield Young Writers and a member of Hive’s Poetry Collective. He studies literature in Amsterdam and when he’s not writing, turns pop-culture figures into clay slugs.