Speak Back: Eligibility and FAQs 

Applicants must be 18 or over and living in Wales.  

You must be able to fully commit to attending the whole course in person at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre from 5.00pm on Monday 3 March – 10.00 am on Friday 7 March 2025 to apply.  

For this course, we’re looking for applicants who are under-represented in Welsh society and within the publishing and spoken word scene in Wales. The following list can be used as a guide, although we will invite you to explain in your own words why you are applying for this opportunity: 

• Gypsy, Roma and/or Traveller communities 

• From a low-income background (this includes individuals who were eligible for free school meals or whose parents were in low-paid jobs, unemployed, or receiving benefits including disability allowances when applicants were 14 years old)  

• Deaf and/or hard of hearing 

• LGBTQ+ 

• Neurodivergent – including, but not limited to: Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette Syndrome and OCD 

• Individuals from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds  

• Refugees and/or Asylum Seekers 

• Writers with long-standing disabilities and/or health issues, i.e. has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months and has an adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 

This course will be delivered in English. However, we welcome writers who write in Welsh to join, as the skills and craft you will learn on the course will apply to your artform in whatever languages you practice.  

We are mainly looking for emerging and mid-career writers/spoken word performers with potential.  

If you are unsure if this is the right course for you, please get in touch to discuss.  

No. Most courses at Tŷ Newydd require a fee to attend, but some of our more strategic activity is offered free–of–charge to individuals through a competitive application process. Accommodation and catering are provided throughout the week. However, you will need to factor in travel costs to and from the centre. If this is going to be a barrier to attend, we’ll invite you to contact us to discuss before the course starts.  

Located in Gwynedd, Tŷ Newydd is situated between the sea and the mountains- less than ten minutes’ drive from both Snowdonia National Park and the Llŷn Peninsula which is an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You can learn more about Literature Wales’ National Writing Centre, Tŷ Newydd, on our website. Here you can browse through photos and blogs written by past participants. 

For this course, the writers will be invited to arrive between 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm on Monday 3 March 2025, and the course will come to an end after breakfast, at around 10.00am, on Friday 7 March. Please see our website for travel information. We can help with travel from train stations (Cricieth or Bangor) – and will provide more information on travel closer to the time.  

The writers will be allocated a bedroom each. Some bedrooms are ensuites, others have shared bathrooms. Bedrooms will be allocated randomly, except for accessible bedrooms. 

All meals will be provided to you by our resident chef, including a self-serve breakfast, buffet-style lunch, evening meal with a dessert, and home-made snacks. We can cater for most dietary requirements and food allergies.  

We hope that you will have plenty of free time to enjoy the area and writing centre. But we kindly ask you attend all the activity organised as part of the course. A detailed timetable will be provided.  

A detailed timetable of activity will be shared with you before the course starts. The week will include: 

• group workshops 

• group discussions 

• performances by tutors and guest poets 

• talks by industry experts 

• one-to-one chats with the tutors 

• free time to network, socialise and to enjoy the local area 

• and a final celebratory event featuring performances by you, the cohort, of work developed during the week 

Yes. This will be a key element of this course – focusing on spoken word and performance. However, the tutors and the staff will work hard to create a space that feels safe, encouraging and supportive to encourage your development and confidence. 

We are here to help. The Literature Wales team are available to discuss any access needs, requirements and concerns before and throughout the course. For individuals in a wheelchair or with mobility issues, we have an accessible bedroom, and we can welcome a personal assistant. Please contact us to discuss accessibility. Each successful writer will be invited to send an Access Rider, or supported in creating one, if needed. For more information about access at Tŷ Newydd, please visit our website.  

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by mid–January 2025.   

As we are expecting a lot of applications, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback on each one. However, where possible we will provide a short, personalised line of feedback, and advise on other opportunities Literature Wales and partners may have available.  

We are aware that correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications can have a negative impact on your health and well-being. We give our pledge to respect and value each individual application, giving it due consideration and attention.  

Literature Wales will continue to invest in the development of the writers and performers after the course ends.  Staff will continue to check in with the group and share opportunities when they arise.