Merry Christmas 🎄🎅 From the WEM team! However you celebrate, we're wish you a day of laughter, joy and merriment. 🫶 (And hopefully some writing-related gifts under the tree! 📖🎁)

Introducing our Youth Advisory Board members 🎉 📙 Via Macnab 📘 Katherine Monk-Watts 📗 Leo McFaul Our Youth Advisory Board are enthusiastic writers aged 18-25, presenting a valuable perspective and insight on challenges and opportunities and bringing new ideas and energy to Writing East Midlands.

Seasons greetings! ☃️❄️ The Writing East Midlands team are now away from our desks until Monday 5th January 2026 for a much needed Christmas break! 🎄 We'll still be checking our emails for anything urgent and posting to socials. So keep an eye out for any news from us! 👀 See you in the new year! 👋

Christmas shopping for a writer you know? 🎅 Here's a quick and easy last-minute present to bulk out their stocking. 🎄 Show your partner, friend or family member that you believe in them and their ambitions with a truly thoughtful gift this Xmas.🎁 Only £25 - tickets available here ➡️ bit.ly/AGENTSDAY

🍄🦆 The winners have been announced! 🌱🌻Read the winning entries to our nature prize for young writers in our digital anthology, published here ➡️ bit.ly/WEM_SOLSTICE A huge well done goes out to all who entered this year's comp and a massive congratulations goes out to all of our winners! 👏🥳

So excited to work with the English Heritage Trust and Junction Arts on the Margaret Cavendish Mind Lab project at Bolsover Castle! 🏰 We'll be inviting local young writers to seek inspiration from the creative world of Margaret Cavendish via a series of workshops filled with wonder and exploration.

Introducing the winners of the Aurora Prize for Writing 2025! 🎉 Our Second place Short Fiction winner is Dave Pescod with 'The End of Our Tether' 🪢 Dave began writing by composing songs, then crafting jokes for BBC radio and TV - you can find more of Dave's work at davepescod.co.uk 🖥️

In March 2026 we're publishing Issue No. 5 of PULSE and want you to get involved! The theme for this issue is 'Masks' 🎭 We'd love to see a variety of interpretations, the more creative, the better! Full details here: bit.ly/DESIGNPULSE2

"Not another Agents Day"—said no one ever!! 🤭 Our most popular event is BACK for February 2026, bringing you yet another super-team of super-agents for an essential publishing panel. ✍️ More names TBC. 👀 Tickets only £25! Book yours before they sell out! ➡️ bit.ly/AGENTSDAY

Poets! 📢 If you want to know what the Editor/Director of Nine Arches Press is looking for in poetry, have a read of what Jane Commane has to say in the Agents' Corner of Pulse Issue No.4! ✍️ Thanks so much for your contribution, Jane, and for helping us to share our magazine with the world. ❤️🌎

Meet our third place poetry winner and the poem she entered with! 🏆 This is Kate MacAlister and her poem 'self exam: finding your cervix', chosen for its impressive command of language, structure and meaning. Congratulations, Kate! 👏🎆

Oli Isaac is the second place poetry winner of the 2025 Aurora Prize! 🎉 Their poem 'Lorca was my grandma's favourite poet' won our hearts through its juxtaposition of two lives, and what this connection means for love, family and identity. You can give them a follow on Instagram: @oliisaac_ ✨

Join us in giving a warm welcome to our brand new Marketing and Admin Assistant: Liv Saunders! 👋 ...And a big congratulations to Molly Ellson, who's taken on a new role within the team. 🎉 Find out what these WEMsters are up to by heading over to our website. And don't be afraid to say hello! 🤗

Our community spotlight this week... 📝 @derbypoetryfestival Prize 2025 📖 @literacy_trust Young Poet Laureates Award 🌍 @wearefootnote x @counterpointsarts refugee and migrant writers prize 2026 🌈 @queerlituk collection seeking LGBTQ+ voices

Write for our magazine! 🚨 The next edition of Pulse launches in March 2026, we're looking for a 500-word piece or 30-line poem to publish, with the successful writing receiving a £50 commission ✍️ Deadline for submission is Weds 17th Dec 2025 at 11:59pm. Full details here: bit.ly/WRITE4PULSE

Say hello to Ash stokes! 👋 Our regional short fiction winner of the Aurora Prize for Writing 2025! 🎉 Ash's story 'Provident' explores the meaning of home, family and poverty, using a captivating voice that our readers were truly taken by. Read it on our website now.

Multi-award winning poet and Royal Society of Literature fellow, Joelle Taylor presents an inspiring masterclass; if your poem were a film and you the director, what would you show your audience? 📽️ 📅 Weds 10th December, 7-8pm 🖥️ Online (via Zoom) Book your space here: bit.ly/joelletaylor...

LAST CHANCE for writers! ⚠️✍️ Want the chance to speak to a multi-award-winning published author and ask all your questions about writing, publishing and getting an agent? 🙋 Lucky you: Irenosen Okojie is joining us for an ONLINE masterclass NEXT WEEK. Tickets here 👉 bit.ly/AURORAIRENOSEN

⚠️ WEATHER WARNING ⚠️ It's snowing spoken word! 🌨️ Next week, the Speak Easy collective for 15-25s meets for the last time this year! Join us for a festive open mic and a very merry meetup for emerging and young poets. 🎄🎤 Save you space and meet your people, here ➡️ bit.ly/SPEAKEASYC

Our community spotlight this week... 🌌 Constellation poetry showcase 📻 New project 'Transmissions' 📚 Newark Book Festival 10th Birthday 🐧 Penguin Books WriteNow programme 🌱 GLL Literary Foundation programme

Last chance to apply! 🚨📢 What it is: FREE feedback on your writing from a professional editor. ✍️ What you can enter: Novels, short stories, poetry and submission packages. 📝 Who can enter: East Mids writers on low income (find out if you're eligible on our website!) Apply here ➡️ bit.ly/FREEREADS

Writer internship for 18-25s ✍️ Apply now 👉 bit.ly/WEMTERNS The ALCS WEMTerns internship programme closes 🚨 in two days 🚨 What you need to apply: Answers to a couple of quick Qs about your writing and a written extract. 🤓📝 That's all! Get yours in before this Friday at 11.59 pm.

Introducing our third place short fiction winner: Rozie Kelly! 🎉 Rozie's iridescent story 'The Woman Who Turned into a Jellyfish' well and truly charmed us with its beautiful evocation of a changing relationship! 🪼🌊 If you want to read more of her work, find her on Instagram @rozeamee 🪸

TLC Free Reads is hugely valuable if you are trying a different direction & you're not sure whether it works yet. I applied on 2 separate occasions & had many helpful comments. 2x novellas completed as a result.

Introducing the winners of the Aurora Prize for Writing 2025! 🎊🏆 First up: Our First place poetry winner, Ishita Uppadhayay, whose intriguing poem 'Uxbridge Moon' fascinated our readers and our judge! You can follow them on Instagram at @ishitaupp and you can read their piece on the WEM website ✨

Before the countdown to Christmas, it's the countdown to our Free Reads Scheme: Applications close NEXT WEEK! 😱 Apply now and receive free feedback on your writing (from a professional editor!) to kick off the new year! 🎉 Find out more here ➡️ bit.ly/FREEREADS

Writer internship for 18-25s ✍️ Apply now 👉 bit.ly/WEMTERNS The ALCS WEMTerns internship programme closes 🚨 next Friday 🚨 What you need to apply: Answers to a couple of quick Qs about your writing and a written extract. 🤓📝 That's all! Get yours in by the 5th Dec.

The multi-award-winning author of Butterfly Fish is joining us for an exclusive online masterclass in just over 2 weeks! Irenosen Okojie will be talking the practical, professional and personal barriers you might meet on the road to a successful writing career. More info ➡️ bit.ly/AURORAIRENOSEN

We're looking for Pulse's next cover design AND for articles, flash fiction and poetry to publish in the upcoming edition of our magazine! ✍️🖌️🎨 For full details inc. commission fee, theme and deadlines click the links below. Design the cover 👉 bit.ly/DESIGNPULSE2 Write for Pulse 👉 bit.ly/WRITE4PULSE

Huge thanks to everyone who came along to our Submitting to Agents masterclass with Hannah Boursnell! 🤓📝 As usual, we walked away with pages of in-depth, insider advice on perfecting our submission packages and catching the eye of ever-elusive agents. 👀✨ For more masterclasses ⏬ bit.ly/WEMSHOP

Meet our writer internship programme's Lead Writer: Thom Seddon! 👋✨ Thom is the writer and multi-disciplinary artist leading our regular workshops and 1-1 mentorship on the ALCS WEMTerns programme. For a foot in the door of the writing industry, apply here ➡️ bit.ly/WEMTERNS

Free writing workshop for 15-25s, now online ✨ Our community of emerging writers are meeting next Saturday for a free feedback workshop. 📝 Know someone with a cracking WIP who should be sharing it with the world? 🌍 Get them to sign up here for this confidence-building meetup ⏬💪 bit.ly/SPEAKEASYC

In case you weren't sure about applying, here's an insight into the TLC Free Reads Scheme, offering FREE feedback on your novels, poetry, short stories and submission packages. ✍️ With just 2 weeks left on the clock, it's time to get those applications in! 🕥📝 Find out more here ➡️ bit.ly/FREEREADS

2 writer opportunities, 2 weeks to apply! ⌛🕤 Both the TLC Free Reads Scheme and ALCS WEMTerns programme close on 5th December 2025. For free feedback on your WIP or 1-1 writer mentorship for 18-25s, get your applications in now! 📝 For Free Reads 👉 bit.ly/FREEREADS WEMTerns 👉 bit.ly/WEMTERNS

Just under 1 week 'til this masterclass for writers who want to make connections and build their own community. 🤝 📌 Tuesday 25th November 🕥 6.30 - 8 pm 💻 Online Did we mention that tickets are only £5? 🤑 Book yours here ⏬ bit.ly/HTSYOWG

CONGRATULATIONS once again... 🎉✨ To our Aurora Prize for Writing winners!🍾🥂 And another huge thanks to our partners, funders, judges and everyone who attended the Aurora Prize ceremony last Thursday - full pics on our Instagram! 📸 Don't forget you can now read the winning entries on our website!

⚠️URGENT⚠️ We've been experiencing some technical issues with our submission portal for our magazine's open call! 🤦 If you tried to submit and our system asked you for payment, please ignore this: Submissions are FREE to enter. Tech issues now resolved! 🎉 Submit here ➡️ bit.ly/WRITE4PULSE

🐝Award-winning author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings and Mother Animal, Helen Jukes, talks about how Truth is tied to memoir, motherhood and contaminants. Read it here!⤵️ bit.ly/WEMPULSE

Novelists, what are you writing? ✍️ Let us know in the comments below! ⏬⏬⏬ If you want to write historical, romance, saga, women's lit, YA or dystopian books, you might want to check out this writing course, led by authors who've written in all of the above and more! 😱 More info ➡️ bit.ly/HTWIAG

Important info for tomorrow’s Nottingham Speaks Up Event! ✍️Workshop: 1:00 - 2:30pm, Room 6 at Nottingham Central Library 🎤Spoken Word Event: 3:00 - 5:00pm, Room 6 ☕No refreshments provided, there is a cafe in the library 🛗Room 6 is accessible via lift Sign up! bit.ly/NSUSHOWCASE bit.ly/NSUXWEM

📢For Writers Out now: PULSE the e-zine from @writingeastmidlands.com includes a piece by Jane Commane on tips for #poets sending out work. A space to discuss issues that matter to writers right now. Explore the magazine here: writingeastmidlands.co.uk/for-writers/...

What is WEMTerns? 🤔💭💡 Our free internship scheme in partnership with ALCS. We're offering writers aged 18-25 the chance to work with established professionals in the literary industry. Access to workshops, talks and work experience included. 📝🗣️💼 Find out more and apply ➡️ bit.ly/WEMTERNS

Last chance to sign up 📝 and speak out! 🗣️ In 2 days, we're joining Nottingham Speaks Up to stand against GBV and inequality. If this is something you care about, and you want to make a difference, we want you to come along and raise your voice in unison with ours. 📢 Sign up here ➡️ bit.ly/NSUXWEM

Write ✍️ For 4️⃣ Pulse 📖 The next edition of our digital and print magazine comes out in 2026. We want YOU to write for it! 🫵 We're seeking flash fiction, poetry, articles and opinion pieces to publish in our next issue. ⌛ You have one month to submit. ⌛ For more info, click here ➡️ bit.ly/WRITE4PULSE

ONE MONTH until Irenosen Okojie's Masterclass! 🧠Have your brain chemistry altered by the award-winning author, as she takes you on a journey that comprises storytelling, self-belief and resilience. If you saw her at the Aurora Prize Ceremony, you get it.🤷‍♀️ Tickets only £15! bit.ly/AURORAIRENOSEN

The winners have been announced!🍾 Read them here 👉 bit.ly/AURORACEREMONY Huge congratulations to the winners in each category of the Aurora Prize for Writing. 🎊 And a massive THANK YOU to our partners, hosts, funders, judges and everyone who entered and and made this year's competition happen.️

For those of us you joined us at the award ceremony tonight, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 🥂 While our poetry judge wasn't able to join us in the end, she will be joining us for her masterclass in December. If you missed her tonight, you can book your tickets here ➡️ bit.ly/JOELLETAYLOR

👋Everyone say ‘Hi’ to Leanne Moden, the lead writer at our Mansfield Young Writers’ Group! ✨If you love to write, get creative and make friends, come along to Mansfield Palace Theatre this evening.✨ All sessions are completely free and you can register here⬇️ bit.ly/MANSFIELDYWG

Why should you apply for free editor feedback? 🤔📝 Besides the fact that it's 100% free and given by an experienced, professional editor or writer? ✍️ The personalised feedback you'll receive will be in-depth, detailed and honest. So don't miss out! Apply here ➡️ bit.ly/FREEREADS

Why should you sign up to Nicky Peacock’s masterclass? ✅ Learn how to start your very own writing group ✅ Receive advice on recruiting members ✅ Explore activity ideas and discover how to get professional writers to guest speak ✅ Meet a group of like-minded creatives Sign up now! bit.ly/HTSYOWG