Writing East Midlands

What to read during Pride month:

🔖 Wild and Wicked Things, Francesca May (fantasy)
🔖 Drama Queen, Charlie Novak (romance)
🔖 The Passion of the Rabbit God, Hongwei Bao (poetry)
🔖 Sapphic Eclectic, anthology
🔖 Echoes of the Heart, Ally McGuire (romance)
🔖 Mr Universe, Rich Goodson (poetry)

All from your local LGBTQIAP+ writing community. 🌈✍️

Our book & poetry publishing masterclass is THIS SATURDAY! 🚨

Publishers speaking: Troubador, Global Words Press, Comma Press, Bad Betty Press, Bearded Badger and author Charlie Novak. ✍️📖

This is your LAST CHANCE to buy tickets. Get yours here: ➡️ https://bit.ly/ARTPWEM

Two weeks to apply for this publishing opportunity for poets! 🕑️

Open to poets living, working and studying in the East Mids. YOUR pamphlet could be published in 2027. 📖

Submissions close 30th June 2026. Full guidelines: ➡️ www.badbettypress.com/submissions/

Charlie Novak is a Notts-based author of over 30 q***r romance novels. 💘 Including their most recent: Licked, an ice cream shop romance set in North Yorkshire! 🍦

As a successful self-published author, Charlie will be speaking on our Alternative Routes to Publishing panel and masterclass this Saturday. 📖👀

For q***r novels full of heat, heart and humour, click here: https://charlienovak.com/

Our creative writing competition for children and young people is open! ✍️🌱

All throughout summer, we'll be sharing prompts to inspire your young writer's creativity and encourage them to engage with nature. 🌲🌻

Let us know how they get on. And check the top comment for more info about the competition. 💚

Our book publishing panels come to Nottingham next week! 📢

Here are some of the books published by the publishers (and author) who will be sharing their advice with you all. 📖✍️

Find out more and book your tickets here: bit.ly/ARTPWEM

Becki Jayne Crossley is the Nottingham author behind Tart! 🍰 A q***r coming-of-age and friends-to-lovers romance. 👩‍❤️‍👩🌈

As a bisexual author, Becki is passionate about q***r YA stories that portray the realities of coming out and discovering your sexuality. Keep an eye out for more from Becki (especially on the next issue of our very own Pulse Magazine...) 👀📖

LGBTQIAP+ book recs from East Mids authors! 🌈📖

🔖 Self-Portrait as a Banana, Hongwei Bao (poetry)
🔖 Fat Man Found, Ben Macpherson (poetry)
🔖 Tart, Becki Jayne Crossley (YA romance)
🔖 The Final Child, Fran Dorricott (thriller)
🔖 Licked, Charlie Novak (romance)
🔖 Q***r Nottingham, CJ DeBarra (nonfiction)

More to come this Pride Month 2026. 🏳️‍🌈

Our FREE writer development programme is OPEN for applications. 📝 Here are some FAQ's and our answers to them. ✍️

Full info & application window on the website here: bit.ly/WEMMENTOR

Or send us an email: [email protected] 📧

We're celebrating q***r writers of the East Mids this Pride Month 2026. 🌈✍️

Dr Hongwei Bao is the academic, poet and author of both nonfiction books and poetry collections such as Q***r Literature in the Sinosphere and Self-Portrait as a Banana. 🍌 His works often explore q***r, diasporic, East Asian identity.

You can find his books at local bookshops such as Five Leaves and The Pride Shop in Nottingham. 📚️