Commonword


Commonword is a writing development organisation based in Manchester, providing opportunities for new and aspiring writers to develop their talent and potential, promoting new writing on a national and international levels. The organisation was set up in 1975. It is currently the largest new writing, community writing and publishing organisation in the North West. It is a limited company and registered charity, and is Arts Council funded.

Cultureword

Cultureword is one strand of Commonword. It was established in 1986 as a centre for black creative writing. Lemn Sissay was working at the organisation as Cultureword's literature worker and convenor of the 'Tight Fisted Poets' group, nurturing new writing talent among many of Manchester's BAME writers. This objective remains fundamental to the organisation's stance to this day.

Events and Workshops

Commonword run a number of writers' groups, workshops, events and conferences.

Young Identity

Young Identity was created in 2006 by Shirley May and Ali Gadema. It is a spoken word collective aimed at younger writers, aged 13–25. Young Identity has performed all over the United Kingdom, working with a diverse range of writers including Saul Williams, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Ted Hughes Prize Winner Kate Tempest and the late Amiri Baraka.

Black and Asian Writers Conference

In association with the Manchester Literature Festival, Commonword holds the Black and Asian Writers Conference biannually. The conference aims to highlight the lack of diversity within the publishing industry through encompasses a series of talks, workshops and interviews. In 2006, the conference talks were as wide-ranging as 'Writing in Translation: What makes for a good translation?' to 'Black and Dangerous: BAME representation of mental health in writing.' The conference concluded with an event headlined by Manchester Lemn Sissay.

Crocus

Crocus is the publishing imprint of Commonword and Cultureworld. It publishes works of fiction and poetry written by authors from the northwest of England.