New Writing North Creative Associates

Steph is a facilitator and award-winning writer who specialises in Young Adult fiction. As a Creative Associate, she will research and write a new Young Adult novel, as well as running creative activity for neurodiverse young people, in line with the themes of her work.

Lucy is a children’s book illustrator and author whose work often centres on themes of representation, community, and hope. Farfort’s debut picture book, In Our Hands, was shortlisted for the prestigious Jhalak Prize and longlisted for The Little Rebels Award. As a Creative Associate she will collaborate with pupils from a local primary school to develop a new children’s book inspired by Arthur’s Hill.

Arlen Pettitt is a non-fiction writer and policy consultant – and the author of a weekly newsletter, called Wor Room, on regional politics. He will develop a series of essays exploring North East masculinity, community, and identity.

Peter Groom is a performer and artist, whose work has been commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and Northern Stage. He will develop a new piece of writing for performance that depicts Newcastle in 2033 in the aftermath of an environmental catastrophe.

Tammie Ash is a new writer from Bradford keen to bring more South Asian voices to books. She’s hoping to write for children and tell stories that include the culture and experiences of Indian women. 

She’s an alumna of New Writing North’s A Writing Chance project to support working-class and underrepresented voices. As part of this, she’s written for publications such as the New Statesman and the Mirror and was part of the ‘Margins to Mainstream’ podcast on BBC Sounds with Michael Sheen.   

She recently completed training in investigative journalism with the Centre for Investigative Journalism on the Lyra McKee Scheme 2022 alongside her day job as a researcher in factual TV where she’s worked on shows for Channel 4 and the BBC. Prior to this, she studied and worked as a civil engineer. 

Tammie joined NWN as a Creative Associate (Residency). Over nine months she worked on developing her skills as a picture book writer and working with an experienced mentor, as well as advising on and supporting our talent development programmes.    

Adam Cooper has over a decade of experience in senior roles and consulting in the cultural sector, an MBA from Durham University, and a PG Dip in Leadership and Philanthropy. Most recently, he was Executive Director of Invisible Dust, a leading art and science organisation.  

As a Creative Associate at New Writing North, Adam is working to co-create climate action with communities and advising on NWN’s climate action work. During his time as Creative Associate, Adam is founding a new climate hope organisation, Threads in the Ground, which he plans to launch at the end of his tenure with us. 

Sharmin Islam joined New Writing North as a Creative Associate Intern, having recently graduated from Northumbria University in International Relations and Politics.  Due to taking up an MA in South Asian Politics at Oxford University, Sharmin’s internship lasted three months. 

Sharmin previously completed an editorial internship at Picador and has written for The F Word Feminist Magazine, aurelia magazine, and gal-dem. She is interested in both publishing and editorial, particularly writing about her lived experience as a South Asian woman living in Newcastle.   

As a Creative Associate Intern, Sharmin developed her own practice as a facilitator and producer, especially in the South Asian community. She created the popular writing group Brown Girls Write, which continue to meet weekly in Newcastle. Sharmin also worked with staff across New Writing North on a wide range of projects including A Writing Chance and Young Writers.  

Adam Sharp is a novelist, non-fiction writer, and former music journalist, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Adam’s book about language and lists, The Correct Order of Biscuits, was published by Orion in 2020. The Wheel is Spinning but the Hamster is Dead: A Journey Around the World in Idioms, Proverbs and General Nonsense will be published in September 2023. His short piece of memoir ‘Play’ was published in Kit de Waal’s Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. He has an MA in creative writing from St Mary’s University and a PhD in creative writing from Northumbria University.   

At New Writing North, Adam is working on a new book that combines memoir and journalism to explore the effects, both physical and mental, of being a heroin baby. Both of Adam’s parents were heroin addicts and his mother took heroin throughout her pregnancy with him.  

Adam also created and hosts New Writing North’s literary salon-cum-scratch night, Read Them Your Writes.