In a previous blog for Writers & Artists, I wrote a blog about how we best support underrepresented writers, and my experience of leading The Middle Way Mentoring project, a two-year professional development scheme funded by Arts Council England. The project supported seven Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic writers from the Midlands with masterclasses and mentoring. In this blog, one of the scheme's alumni Nazira Vania shares her experience.
It isn’t easy being a beginner writer trying to turn long-held literary dreams into reality. You step into the world of writing to find that the landscape is vast, your goals are far off on the horizon, and a confusing tangle of paths stretch out between you and your destination. How do you know which road leads to the fulfilment of your aspirations? And where do you turn to if you need help with plotting out your route or getting equipped for the journey?
I was in this position back in 2018 when I applied for a place on the Middle Way Mentoring Project (MWMP). As I wrote in my application for the scheme, I knew that I had the potential to be a good writer but I wasn’t always executing my ideas very well because my craft was underdeveloped and I lacked confidence in my voice. I was also uncertain about how to navigate the complex world of publishing, so my hope was that the MWMP, with its combination of mentoring and masterclasses, would help me to ‘break through to my best writing’ and give my words a chance to succeed when I submitted them for publication.
The programme did not disappoint. Beginning with the mentoring, each mentee was allocated an experienced writer to support them one-to-one during the first year of the programme. My mentor was Kerry Young, author of Pao, Gloria, and Show Me A Mountain. How we utilised our mentoring sessions was left up to us, and I used mine to get support with my novel-in-progress When You’re Smiling. For the first session, Kerry put lots of thought and time into understanding my vision for the novel and for myself as a writer. We then spent each session focusing on different elements of my writing, which meant that there was continuous improvement in my craft and progress towards my goals. The quality of my story-telling and the authenticity of my writing improved noticeably as a result of Kerry’s input, and I really couldn't have wished for a better mentor.
Moving onto the masterclasses, these took place across the two-year span of the scheme. The first year’s masterclasses were delivered by the mentors and focused on different aspects of craft and form, whereas the second year’s masterclasses were delivered by industry experts and covered a range of need-to-know subjects for early-career writers, such as the route to publishing, how to apply for funding, and how to edit your work. There were also masterclasses from Farhana Shaikh, the programme leader, who shared generously from her considerable experience as a writer, publisher, and arts leader across all of the sessions. The masterclasses, especially those from the mentors, helped us to explore and experiment with many different approaches to writing, which I found greatly enhanced my craft, especially when I applied the learning to my work-in-progress.
Finally, it was always a joy to spend time with the other mentees when we gathered for the masterclasses. They were a treasure trove of knowledge and support throughout the programme. Each of us brought to the table different writing styles, reading interests, and life experiences, which allowed us to take away an abundance of ideas and inspiration from every session. Together with the programme leader, the mentees created a positive, accommodating, and nurturing group in which it felt safe to be vulnerable and take creative risks, without which true growth might not have been achieved. I was forever in awe of their talent as well, so my highlights of the scheme had to be when our writing was published side-by-side in the MWMP anthology In The Middle and when we shared a (virtual) stage at the showcase events at the end of the programme.
Overall, MWMP offered a holistic development experience, and by the time the two years came to an end, the quality of my work, my belief in my voice, and the strength of my writer identity had soared to a whole new level. After the scheme finished, I went on to complete my novel and, thanks to the programme, had the confidence to submit it to other schemes and prizes, which resulted in me being shortlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2022. MWMP was an invaluable experience for me, and equipped with all that it taught me, I know that I will be able to cross the literary landscape and reach my writing goals.
The Middle Way Mentoring Project is open for applications until 27th March 2023.
Comments