Meet the Team
Management Team
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Beverley Ward
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
(Writer, Writing Coach)
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Lorna Partington
DIRECTOR
(Editor, Writer)
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Rosie Carnall
DIRECTOR
(Writer, Creative Facilitator)
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Harley Ryley
FREELANCE BUSINESS MANAGER
(Poet, Novelist, PhD Student)
Associates
Our associates come from the worlds of writing, publishing, editing, creative coaching and facilitation. They join us to share their knowledge, skills and experience with our membership by leading a range of fun, inspiring and informative workshops, masterclasses and other events.
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Hannah Boursnell
Hannah is an editor and copywriter with 15 years’ experience in nonfiction publishing, most recently at Little Brown. Now freelance, Hannah provides editorial services to various UK publishers and indie writers of nonfiction.
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Bryony Doran
Bryony is an author, poet and coach. She published her first novel, The China Bird, in 2009. In 2013, she published her short story collection, The Sand Eggs. Her poetry collection, Bullet Proof, was published in 2016 by Bloodaxe.
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Gavin Extence
Gavin's first novel, The Universe versus Alex Woods, was selected as one of the Waterstones best debuts of 2013, was part of the Richard and Judy Summer Book Club, and went on to be an international bestseller. He has written six books for adults and young adults, and has over a decade of teaching experience, including masterclasses, workshops and one-to-one mentoring.
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Emma Garrard
Emma is a philosophy graduate, a Biblio/Poetry therapist and a psychotherapist with 16 years’ experience. She trained with the International Academy of Poetry Therapy and now offers a range of therapeutic creative writing groups to promote well-being.
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Anne Grange
Anne has an MA in Writing from Sheffield Hallam University. With her experience of self-publishing, Anne has helped many people publish their books. Anne offers Creative Life Writing workshops and heads the Herding Cats Poetry Meetup.
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Amanda Marples
Amanda is a writer and mentor. She is author of The Healing Workbook (2023). As someone with ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome, she runs workshops and provides mentoring for fellow neurodivergent writers, which involves supporting them to get to the page … and stay there.
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Sally O'Reilly
Sally is the author of How to be a Writer: The Definitive Guide to Making a Living from Writing (Piatkus/Hachette) and the novel Dark Aemilia (Myriad Editions/Picador US), which was nominated for the Kirkus Prize. Her short stories have been published internationally. She is the co-editor of Creative Writing: A Workbook with Readings (OU/Routledge, 2022).
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Carmel Page
Carmel is an oral storyteller and has written Yorkshire Folk Tales (The History Press). She co-runs Story Forge, a storytelling club for adults. She also performs with a troupe of Flying Teddy Bears. Carmel offers support with storytelling, performance, writing for adults and children, and creativity.
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Raquel Vogl
Raquel is an American writer, musician, and teacher. Raquel has taught English and writing at the City University of New York and the Queens Library. She is at work on a collection of short stories.
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Jools Warner
Jools writes fantasy and speculative fiction. Her debut novel Ernie and the Mage-Killer was published in 2024 by Bellows Press. She has 15+ years of teaching experience, including classes and workshops, one-to-one mentoring, and editorial support, and is also a tarot reader. She has an MA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D in Death Studies.
Apprentice Associates
Apprentice Associates are developing their writing careers with the support of our experienced associates and our new programme of training (some of which is open to members), whilst learning to share their writing skills with our membership. This is a pilot scheme for 2024-5, working with members who have approached us for support, but we're hoping to continue it in future years with a diverse group of apprentices. If you're interested in being involved, email workshopwrite@gmail.com and we'll let you know when we're open for applications.
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Chivonne Head
Chivonne is a 30-something poet from South Yorkshire. She runs an open mic poetry night in Rotherham every month, and is very active on the open mic scene across Yorkshire. She has been published in LiveWire magazine, and is also due to be published on the Doncaster Sand House website. She likes cheese, cats and her power animal is a hamster, due to its solitary nature.
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Coco Lone Neal
Coco Lone Neal is a mother, rambler and writer, currently interning with Orion, a division of Hachette Publishing, and studying for an MA in Nature and Travel Writing. She has published poetry and non-fiction and is working on a book stitched together with river-blue thread. Coco is interested in memoir, nature writing, auto-fiction, and magical realism.
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Harley Ryley
Harley writes tiny poems, creative non-fiction about 'big life change' and novels about robot nannies and historical events. She's currently studying for her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Sheffield, focusing on truth and memory in life writing. When not writing, Harley provides freelance business support for The Writers Workshop and is also the founder of Read Easy Sheffield.
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Narimaan Shafi
Mamie is a writer, ex-science teacher and award-winning content creator. As a writer, Mamie's passions are memoir and flash fiction. In 2022 she won the Portico Library's Rewriting the North Mentorship Prize with Faber for her memoir writing about growing up in the north of England in the 1970s and 80s. She is keen to support underrepresented writers and reach new audiences.
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Rachel Mills
Rachel writes poetry and non-fiction about wellbeing. She's also writes for young people and helps to run our Writing Club for 9-13 year olds, as well as facilitating a group for women who have experienced domestic abuse for the charity Restored. At The Writers Workshop, she's interested in helping with spoken word developments and with writing for wellbeing.
Associate Groups
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Sheffield Authors
Formed in 2015, Sheffield Authors membership is open to everyone who considers themselves a Sheffield author. SA celebrates and showcases Sheffield's writers, provides support and advice to fellow authors through the network, offers workshops, and hosts a website. They are constantly looking for ways to connect with readers, share experience, and promote their work. They run bookstalls at various local events.
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Sheffield Novelists
Open to all writers working on a novel from Sheffield and the surrounding area who are interested in getting feedback on works in progress. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you already have several novels under your belt, you’ll be very welcome.
Membership of the group is free, and it meets on the third Monday of every month at 7.30pm. To join, visit the website.
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Lapidus Sheffield
Lapidus Sheffield meets (mostly online) once a month to write together, with different group members facilitating a writing-for-wellbeing activity. New activities to be scheduled.
Lapidus Sheffield is part of Lapidus International. Members come from a range of fields – writers, health workers. counsellors, therapists, teachers and more.
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Your Group Here!
If you’re part of a writing group, consider joining the Writers Workshop! Contact Beverley Ward for information.
Are you a published novelist, poet or nonfiction writer and fancy joining the Writers Workshop as an Associate and helping our members develop?
If so, visit the Contact page and let us know!