New Writing South

Creative Learning Team 2009

All our team members have enhanced CRB checks and most are qualified Arts Award Advisers.

Dinos Aristidou
Dinos has written numerous plays, including one commissioned by Chester for their city’s Millenium production. He is currently directing and devising a community diversity production for Watford Palace Theatre. He was Education Manager at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre, and has run writing and theatre workshops with young people and teachers around the world.

Sheila Auguste
Sheila is a published writer who has facilitated and tutored creative writing courses in a range of venues including university and community venues. She has a Masters in Creative Writing. She also works for Rise, an organisation providing support for women and children affected by domestic abuse, and as a counsellor for Relate.

Chris Boiling
Chris was selected for the first BBC Writers' Academy, and currently writes for EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City. He is also working on the next series of The Street with Jimmy McGovern. Chris has taught English to foreign students and has a Masters degree in Television and Radio Scriptwriting.

Sara Clifford
Sara's plays include several for young people: Head Over Heels (OTTC) and Wedding Story (Nottingham Playhouse). She has led drama and writing workshops in schools for over twenty years, is an Education Associate for Donmar Warehouse, delivers the Continuing Development Programme for Creative Partnerships, and recently completed Belonging, a project for secondary schools using drama, dance and writing.

Linda Cotterill
Linda is a story-teller, playwright, director and screenwriter. She studied at the Lecoq Theatre School in Paris and is a member of Equity. She has been commissioned to create numerous stories for specific events, places and exhibitions. Audiences range in age from nursery to 105 and include many special needs groups.

Suhalya El-Bushra
Suhalya is a trained drama teacher who now writes for TV, film and the stage. She has an MA in screenwriting and a Diploma in cinematography. She has been invited on two BBC writing initiatives, both of which resulted in commissions. She is currently working on a play, Whirlwind, Heat and Flash, and is in the process of setting up a night of new writing for the stage.

Julie Everton
A Royal Court Young Writer, Julie has written numerous plays and now concentrates on screenwriting and writing for television. She has worked in schools and community organisations for over fifteen years, including teaching drama and running playwriting INSETs. Julie also teaches creative writing and screenwriting.

Sue Guiney
Sue Guiney
Sue’s first novel, Tangled Roots, has recently been published. She also writes poetry and plays. She is Artistic Director of the arts charity, CurvingRoad, which finds, nurtures and launches the careers of new writers and artists. For many years Sue has run writing workshops with young people, and specialises in work with children who have learning difficulties, dyslexia and ADHD.

Joe Hammond
Joe is currently one of 'The50' - a Royal Court/BBC initiative designed to support and nurture fifty ‘exciting and emerging’ UK writers. His most recent play, Costa Blanca, was awarded a grant by Arts Council England. Joe has a PGCE and an education background. He works with young people and adults, using techniques to build confidence and skills.

Christine Harmer-Brown
Christine’s television writing experience includes working on Casualty, co-writing with Lynda La Plante, and Inside Out, an original drama. Her plays include 15 Minutes and Wearing Something Heavy. She is part of the Writers' Centre at Soho Theatre, runs various workshops for adults and young people, and has worked on numerous schools projects.

Robert Hull
Robert is a much-published poet and writer, and a teacher with many years’ experience of working with children and adults. His poetry books for children include Everest and Chips and Stargrazer, both short-listed for awards. His poems have been widely anthologised, including in the forthcoming Puffin The Very Best of Children’s Verse. He has also written history books for young people, such as the Heritage series.

Marian Kilpatrick
is a writer and performer who was a stand-up comic for six years. She studied drama at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has worked extensively in radio. She has also written for television and for magazines. She has worked extensively with young people, including running writing and drama workshops in schools.

Natasha Langridge
Natasha co-authored Rage and Reason: Women Playwrights on Playwriting. She has written and directed a number of plays, including Beverley which received a national tour and The Method which premiered at The Oval House Theatre ,London. Natasha's new play, Shraddha, is under development with Soho Theatre, London. Her work in schools includes adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Jungle Book.

Paul Lyalls
Paul is a performance poet and storyteller. He has performed his poetry at the Edinburgh Festival, Glastonbury, and Hay-On-Wye. He is one of the stars of the tv series The Big Slam Poetry House. He features on the July 08 Oxfam children’s poetry CD. His education residencies have resulted in four anthologies of poems.

Andrew G. Marshall
Andrew is a journalist, writer of non fiction and published playwright (Oberon Books: Coming Around Again), whose plays include Walking Out and Sex in the Seventies. He is the author of I love you but I'm not in love with you published by Bloomsbury and translated into twelve different languages. He writes for major national newspapers and magazines and has lectured around the world.

Helen Nelder
Helen is a theatre director and playwright. She trained as an actress in Paris, and worked as an English and Drama teacher for more than ten years. As a freelancer she teaches playwrighting and media studies. She is the founder of w@rn Theatre Company 2000, a community theatre company exploring social issues, including domestic violence, young carers, refugees and bullying.

Josie Melia
Josie has written award-winning work for theatre and film, plus comedy sketches performed at the Komedia. She has worked with young people for several years as a teacher and as a youth counsellor, and worked for the Trust for the Study ofAdolescence. She is currently working on a feature length screenplay.

Peggy Riley
Peggy is a playwright, writer and community artist living in Kent. She was Writer on Attachment at Soho Theatre and Writer-in-Residence at HMYOI Rochester. She is currently writing fiction and plays, and has two musicals in development.Peggy has a background in creating magazine projects and live events and she regularly runs workshops on creative and life writing and filmmaking in schools, prisons, and community centres throughout the UK.

Mike Sells
Mike is a playwright. He graduated on the MA playwriting course from Birmingham University and taught on scriptwriting projects within a number of local authorities. Mike then set up and ran the Outreach Program for Streets Alive Theatre Company. Mike is currently working on radio dramas and studying scriptwriting for film.

Evlynn Sharp
Evlynn Sharp is a poet and playwright who has experience of working in prisons, schools and the community. She is a visiting lecturer in Literature, Film, Art and Theatre, London Metropolitan University. Her numerous projects with young people include the award-winning RECLAIM! project for excluded teenagers. She was writer in residence at HMP Belmarsh for three years. She has performed her poetry all over the UK and Europe.

Jo Smith
Jo has worked in various forms of theatre and drama in education for many years. Her primary medium is writing for the stage, and she trained as a director at the National Theatre. She is currently engaged in developing a new musical. She works part-time as a copywriter and has a Masters degree in Performance Studies.

Chris Sykes
Chris Sykes is a poet, playwright and songwriter. He is also an experienced teacher and the author of Your Complete Evening Course in Creative Writing, Hodder, 2009. See www.cpsykes.co.uk

Carolyn Thomas
Carolyn writes short stories, television sitcom scripts, plays for radio and theatre and is working on her first novel. In 2004 she was runner up in BBC3’s nationwide ‘End of Story’ competition. She is currently a part-time dyslexia tutor at Central Sussex College in Crawley. Carolyn has experience of working with special needs pupils.

Sue Walker
Sue is a crime novelist published by Penguin. She has more than twenty years experience as an investigative television journalist working across all UK networks. She is a Skillset (Sector Skills Council for Creative Media) Careers Adviser and a creative writing tutor. She is a member of the Writers’ Guild and the Society of Authors.

Bridget Whelan
Bridget is a fiction writer, her first novel has just been published. She winner of he Virtual Ireland international short story competition and flash fiction competition, Fish Literary Association, Ireland. She worked on the Daily Mirror for more than twenty years in various capacities, including researcher for investigative journalist Paul Foot. Bridget is Writer in Residence at a Brighton community centre, and teaches creative writing at Goldsmiths College.

Dinos Aristidou Dinos has written numerous plays, including one commissioned by Chester for their city’s Millenium production. He is currently directing and devising a community diversity production for Watford Palace Theatre. He was Education Manager at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre, and has run writing and theatre workshops with young people and teachers around the world.
Sheila Auguste Sheila is a published writer who has facilitated and tutored creative writing courses in a range of venues including university and community venues. She has a Masters in Creative Writing. She also works for Rise, an organisation providing support for women and children affected by domestic abuse, and as a counsellor for Relate.
Chris Boiling Chris was selected for the first BBC Writers' Academy, and currently writes for EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City. He is also working on the next series of The Street with Jimmy McGovern. Chris has taught English to foreign students and has a Masters degree in Television and Radio Scriptwriting.
Sara Clifford Sara's plays include several for young people: Head Over Heels (OTTC) and Wedding Story (Nottingham Playhouse). She has led drama and writing workshops in schools for over twenty years, is an Education Associate for Donmar Warehouse, delivers the Continuing Development Programme for Creative Partnerships, and recently completed Belonging, a project for secondary schools using drama, dance and writing.
Linda Cotterill Linda is a story-teller, playwright, director and screenwriter. She studied at the Lecoq Theatre School in Paris and is a member of Equity. She has been commissioned to create numerous stories for specific events, places and exhibitions. Audiences range in age from nursery to 105 and include many special needs groups.
Suhalya El-Bushra Suhalya is a trained drama teacher who now writes for TV, film and the stage. She has an MA in screenwriting and a Diploma in cinematography. She has been invited on two BBC writing initiatives, both of which resulted in commissions. She is currently working on a play, Whirlwind, Heat and Flash, and is in the process of setting up a night of new writing for the stage.
Julie Everton A Royal Court Young Writer, Julie has written numerous plays and now concentrates on screenwriting and writing for television. She has worked in schools and community organisations for over fifteen years, including teaching drama and running playwriting INSETs. Julie also teaches creative writing and screenwriting.
Sue Guiney Sue Guiney Sue’s first novel, Tangled Roots, has recently been published. She also writes poetry and plays. She is Artistic Director of the arts charity, CurvingRoad, which finds, nurtures and launches the careers of new writers and artists. For many years Sue has run writing workshops with young people, and specialises in work with children who have learning difficulties, dyslexia and ADHD.
Joe Hammond Joe is currently one of 'The50' - a Royal Court/BBC initiative designed to support and nurture fifty ‘exciting and emerging’ UK writers. His most recent play, Costa Blanca, was awarded a grant by Arts Council England. Joe has a PGCE and an education background. He works with young people and adults, using techniques to build confidence and skills.
Christine Harmer-Brown Christine’s television writing experience includes working on Casualty, co-writing with Lynda La Plante, and Inside Out, an original drama. Her plays include 15 Minutes and Wearing Something Heavy. She is part of the Writers' Centre at Soho Theatre, runs various workshops for adults and young people, and has worked on numerous schools projects.
Robert Hull Robert is a much-published poet and writer, and a teacher with many years’ experience of working with children and adults. His poetry books for children include Everest and Chips and Stargrazer, both short-listed for awards. His poems have been widely anthologised, including in the forthcoming Puffin The Very Best of Children’s Verse. He has also written history books for young people, such as the Heritage series.
Marian Kilpatrick is a writer and performer who was a stand-up comic for six years. She studied drama at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has worked extensively in radio. She has also written for television and for magazines. She has worked extensively with young people, including running writing and drama workshops in schools.
Natasha Langridge Natasha co-authored Rage and Reason: Women Playwrights on Playwriting. She has written and directed a number of plays, including Beverley which received a national tour and The Method which premiered at The Oval House Theatre ,London. Natasha's new play, Shraddha, is under development with Soho Theatre, London. Her work in schools includes adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Jungle Book.
Paul Lyalls Paul is a performance poet and storyteller. He has performed his poetry at the Edinburgh Festival, Glastonbury, and Hay-On-Wye. He is one of the stars of the tv series The Big Slam Poetry House. He features on the July 08 Oxfam children’s poetry CD. His education residencies have resulted in four anthologies of poems.
Andrew G. Marshall Andrew is a journalist, writer of non fiction and published playwright (Oberon Books: Coming Around Again), whose plays include Walking Out and Sex in the Seventies. He is the author of I love you but I'm not in love with you published by Bloomsbury and translated into twelve different languages. He writes for major national newspapers and magazines and has lectured around the world.
Helen Nelder Helen is a theatre director and playwright. She trained as an actress in Paris, and worked as an English and Drama teacher for more than ten years. As a freelancer she teaches playwrighting and media studies. She is the founder of w@rn Theatre Company 2000, a community theatre company exploring social issues, including domestic violence, young carers, refugees and bullying.
Josie Melia Josie has written award-winning work for theatre and film, plus comedy sketches performed at the Komedia. She has worked with young people for several years as a teacher and as a youth counsellor, and worked for the Trust for the Study ofAdolescence. She is currently working on a feature length screenplay.
Peggy Riley Peggy is a playwright, writer and community artist living in Kent. She was Writer on Attachment at Soho Theatre and Writer-in-Residence at HMYOI Rochester. She is currently writing fiction and plays, and has two musicals in development.Peggy has a background in creating magazine projects and live events and she regularly runs workshops on creative and life writing and filmmaking in schools, prisons, and community centres throughout the UK.
Mike Sells Mike is a playwright. He graduated on the MA playwriting course from Birmingham University and taught on scriptwriting projects within a number of local authorities. Mike then set up and ran the Outreach Program for Streets Alive Theatre Company. Mike is currently working on radio dramas and studying scriptwriting for film.
Evlynn Sharp Evlynn Sharp is a poet and playwright who has experience of working in prisons, schools and the community. She is a visiting lecturer in Literature, Film, Art and Theatre, London Metropolitan University. Her numerous projects with young people include the award-winning RECLAIM! project for excluded teenagers. She was writer in residence at HMP Belmarsh for three years. She has performed her poetry all over the UK and Europe.
Jo Smith Jo has worked in various forms of theatre and drama in education for many years. Her primary medium is writing for the stage, and she trained as a director at the National Theatre. She is currently engaged in developing a new musical. She works part-time as a copywriter and has a Masters degree in Performance Studies.
Chris Sykes Chris Sykes is a poet, playwright and songwriter. He is also an experienced teacher and the author of Your Complete Evening Course in Creative Writing, Hodder, 2009. See www.cpsykes.co.uk
Carolyn Thomas Carolyn writes short stories, television sitcom scripts, plays for radio and theatre and is working on her first novel. In 2004 she was runner up in BBC3’s nationwide ‘End of Story’ competition. She is currently a part-time dyslexia tutor at Central Sussex College in Crawley. Carolyn has experience of working with special needs pupils.
Sue Walker Sue is a crime novelist published by Penguin. She has more than twenty years experience as an investigative television journalist working across all UK networks. She is a Skillset (Sector Skills Council for Creative Media) Careers Adviser and a creative writing tutor. She is a member of the Writers’ Guild and the Society of Authors.
Bridget Whelan Bridget is a fiction writer, her first novel has just been published. She winner of he Virtual Ireland international short story competition and flash fiction competition, Fish Literary Association, Ireland. She worked on the Daily Mirror for more than twenty years in various capacities, including researcher for investigative journalist Paul Foot. Bridget is Writer in Residence at a Brighton community centre, and teaches creative writing at Goldsmiths College.

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