Gladstones Library: Writer in Residence
Gladstones Library is Britain’s only residential library and the former home of Prime Minister, William Gladstone. The Writer in Residence programme has been running for ten years, founded in partnership with Damian Barr. It is part of an initiative to widen access to the library and engage local visitors in thought-provoking, gently educational events.
The Writer in Residence scheme also recognises the significant hardships even successful published writers face, seeking to create good work alongside other jobs and myriad commitments. Uninterrupted writing time in a stunning location is indeed a prize worth winning. The library offer up to a month’s stay to several writers every year, in return for one masterclass and one evening talk. We are delighted that Sophie (the writing half of the Rickard Sisters) has been successful in her application for this chance-in-a-lifetime.
Sophie will be in residence at Gladstones Library for two weeks in early January, then two weeks at the end of March. She will be sharing her adventures on our social media feeds, and working on the script for our next graphic novel alongside other projects. When you see how beautiful the Library is you may well be tempted to book a stay yourself. They offer amazing discounts for Society of Authors members.
You can read about Sophie’s experiences in January on the Gladstone’s Library blog, and you can get a glimpse of library life in these films from our TikTok feed:
Sophie held a masterclass on 7th January: Adapting for Accessibility where a small group of writers worked together to look at fresh and fun ways of making work comprehensible.
Come to see us both for the evening talk on March 21st: The Likes of Us: Who Reads Old Ideas?
Both events will draw upon the work we have done to adapt the important Edwardian classics, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and No Surrender into engaging and accessible graphic novels for a new generation of readers.
