Introduction
Taylor Edmonds is a poet, writer and creative facilitator from Barry. Her work explores themes of womanhood, identity, connection, nature and empowerment. Taylor’s debut poetry pamphlet Back Teeth is out now with Broken Sleep Books. She was the 21-22 Poet in Residence for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. She has received a Rising Stars Award from Literature Wales and Firefly Press for her writing for young people. Taylor is currently working on her debut YA fiction novel.
“Literature Wales has invested and believed in me since the beginning of my career and supported me in many ways throughout, which has helped support my confidence and enabled me to bring my ideas to fruition.”
Literature Wales provides development opportunities to empower writers in pursuing their unique paths. This includes developing craft and confidence in creative expression, as well as fostering growth as creative facilitators. Taylor has gained from both aspects by participating in writer development projects such as Representing Wales, residential courses at Tŷ Newydd, and Hay Festival Writers at Work. Additionally, she has secured funding to design and implement various community-focused creative writing projects, helping her to expand her “skills, knowledge, and networks.”
Creative Facilitation
Taylor first came into contact with Literature Wales after she moved back to Wales after completing her degree in Cheltenham. Seeking connections in the literature scene, she started working with Where I’m Coming From, a Cardiff-based collective who ran open mic events and platformed up-and-coming writers, many of whom were from Black and Asian backgrounds. Some of their events were supported through Literature Wales’ Inspiring Communities Fund.
“Eventually, I gained in confidence and started to apply for opportunities to run my own creative workshops and support my practice.”
Through various projects, commissions and funding schemes, Taylor was able to grow as a creative facilitator, gaining skills in developing programmes which aimed to support the creative practice and well-being of participants. This led her to create Writing for Joy, workshops which have been delivered in a variety of community and educational settings for both adults and young people and aim to improve the accessibility of creative writing and promote writing for wellbeing. These creative writing workshops form a significant part of Taylor’s freelance activities.
“Support that I’ve received on writer development programmes, and funding towards workshop-based projects have helped me develop the skills and knowledge to be a good facilitator. It encouraged me to try running creative writing workshops, which have now become the bread and butter of my freelancing.”
Project Focus: The Long View
Alongside writer Nasia Sarwar-Skuse, Taylor devised and delivered The Long View, which she sees as a particular highlight. This was a series of workshops for refugee and asylum seeker women from the Aurora Trinity Collective.
She says:
“We delivered workshops around nature and belonging, rooting ourselves in our environment in Cardiff. Coming from a range of cultural backgrounds, we met to write, share food and cultural stories. At the end of the project, we created a video poem, with the women in the group reading a poem we created as a collective. Literature Wales trusted our vision for the project and gave us the freedom to develop something that would be meaningful and long-term.
For me, this project was the start to defining the course of my career going forward, which has largely been creative facilitation based, providing writing workshops around creativity and wellbeing, connecting to nature and mindfulness.”
Writer Development
“Writing development programmes have provided me with valuable time and space to develop my writing and ideas, as well as a platform to connect with other writers.”
As part of the Representing Wales programme, Taylor was mentored by YA writer Emma Smith-Barton, who supported Taylor to write the first draft of her debut YA novel. This first opportunity for in-depth mentoring helped Taylor refine the idea and plot of her novel and increased her understanding of the process of pitching to agents.
“I found my mentorship came at the right time, spurring me on to complete a draft of my manuscript, write my first cover letter and synopsis and send out to agents. Emma had a true belief in and passion for my work. She helped me feel more confident in my abilities and provided me with the tools to discipline myself to get the draft done. I have since submitted to my first round of agents, and the novel came highly commended in Faber’s 2024 FAB Prize.”
Many of Literature Wales’ development programmes bring writers together, whether that’s online, at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, or at festivals such as Hay and the Eisteddfod. Taylor notes that these opportunities have connected her to other writers and have helped her build a supportive community.
“Writing can be a lonely pursuit and the relationships I’ve formed help me in terms of having feedback on my writing, sign posting each other to opportunities, and generally feeling supported through the ups and downs of my writing career.”
As well as developing personal networks, some of the projects which Taylor has been involved in require collaborative working and experimentation. One of Taylor’s proudest achievements is a poetry film she created with dancer Jodi Ann-Nicholson which was funded by Wales Arts International. The inspiration to work with artists from different disciplines came from the Plethu/Weave project which was a collaboration between Literature Wales and Dance Company Wales.
“It was the first time I had worked with a dancer, and seeing how the movement brought new life to my poem was an enriching process.”
Taylor also notes that the backing and funding provided by Literature Wales has helped her be more visible to other arts organisations and funders, helping her be in the right rooms and spaces to make connections that advance her career.
“Literature Wales’ investment in me and my ideas has undoubtedly played a big part in getting me to where I am today, providing me with opportunities to make work I’m passionate about and giving me a platform to make sure that it’s noticed and heard.”
Find out more about Taylor and her work on her website: Taylor Edmonds – Writer | Poet | Creative Facilitator