Opportunities & Events
Reinventing the Protagonist retreat: Opportunity for Deaf and/or Disabled and/or Neurodiverse writers
Summary:
Literature Wales, in partnership with Disability Arts Cymru, is once more delighted to invite Deaf and/or Disabled and/or Neurodiverse writers based in Wales to apply for a space on our Reinventing the Protagonist Retreat followed by online one-to-one tutorials in the spring-summer 2026. Find out more here
Content:
Deadline to apply: 12.00 noon, Wednesday, 3 December 2025.
Course dates: Friday 27 – Sunday 29 March 2026 with one-to-one tutorials and a sharing event taking place in June 2026.
Location: The retreat will take place at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd. The tutorials and sharing event will take place online.
Who is the Programme for?
Reinventing the Protagonist is suitable for highly committed writers looking to expand their writing toolkit, and for those who haven’t yet explored their disabled identity or expressed their lived experience in their creative work. For more information about who is eligible for this opportunity, head over to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
What will the course include?
Using stimulating examples of poetry, fiction, and plays written by Disabled and Deaf writers the workshops will invite you to consider how we can be more inclusive and representative in the creation of characters, perspectives, narratives, and fictional worlds. Through discussions, writing exercises and prompts, you will be encouraged to look at your writing anew. We will challenge the stereotypes, and consider new narratives, reinvented protagonists, surprising endings, and a refreshed language for our work.
Accessibility
Disability Arts Cymru will assess and advise on Access Riders to all successful applicants so we can provide adequate support where needed. For example, organising a BSL interpreter, welcoming a personal assistant, or providing documents in suitable formats. Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru can organise a live captioner or a BSL interpreter to be present during the sessions. Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru staff will also be available for discussions prior to the course about how we can ensure that it is as accessible, comfortable, and enjoyable for each individual beforehand.
How can I apply for this course?
You will need to fill in an application form and provide a short extract (around 1,000 words or up to five poems) of your creative work. This can be poetry, prose, non-fiction or a script.
If you would like to chat to a member of staff before applying, please email Literature Wales on post@literaturewales.org or call us for a chat: 01766 522 811 (Tŷ Newydd Office) or 02920 472266 (Cardiff Office). Or you can reach out to us on social media.
Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru staff will also be available to answer your questions during an informal virtual drop-in session.
Register for the session by clicking on the date below:
Tuesday 4 November 2025, 1.00 – 2.00 pm