Margins to Mainstream with Michael Sheen
In this 10-part series, Michael Sheen introduces new writers from under-represented backgrounds on a journey to reveal truths from the margins of society.
The Margins to Mainstream podcast, featuring all 11 of our A Writing Chance writers, is now available on BBC Sounds, produced for BBC Wales by Working Word.
A Writing Chance opened in February 2021 to new and aspiring storytellers from under-represented backgrounds. We sought fresh perspectives and great stories from people whose voices have historically not been heard in publishing and the media.
Maya Jordan and Stephen Tuffin
We hear from Maya Jordan, a neuro-divergent working class mother of six from Newtown, currently writing a novel about a goddess of the River Severn and Stephen Tuffin, a former former butcher’s boy, cook, cab driver, door-to-door salesman, care home assistant, road worker and builder now writing working-class stories inspired by the remarkable and raw world he’s lived and worked in. Journalists Kevin Maguire and Siobhan McNally share their writing tips. And in a very special performance, Michael Sheen performs new work by the two writers profiled in the episode.
Grace Quantock
we meet Grace Quantock, a writer from Newport, South Wales. Grace writes narrative non-fiction at the intersection of creative arts, social justice and marginalised bodies. The journalist Lola Seaton from the New Statesman is Grace’s mentor, and we’ll hear how her advice guided Grace to write a piece performed by the actor Sarah Beer, in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Tom Newlands
We meet Tom Newlands, a writer from Scotland now based in London. Tom’s mentor, The Damned United and Red Riding trilogy author David Peace, tells how a word processor rescued from the Tokyo trash kickstarted a career which has seen him become one of Britain’s greatest novelists of the 21st century. Eddi Reader, better known as singer with Fairground Attraction, performs Tom’s work in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Mayo Agard-Olubo
Michael introduces Mayo Agard-Olubo, a writer and poet from London and his mentor Sharna Jackson, the author of a mystery series for children in which a pair of black sisters solve crimes on an estate. Mayo’s new work is in the fantasy genre and the episode explores why writers create these worlds and why reader buy these books in their millions. The actor Kofi De-Graft-Jordan performs Mayo’s story We Must Slay Giants in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Jacqueline Houston
Michael introduces Jacqueline Houston, a new working class writer from Glasgow who starting writing as her 50th birthday loomed. Her Facebook posts, off-kilter updates on growing older with all guns blazing soon turned into offline autobiographical writing. Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader performs Jacqueline’s piece about running through the Partick streets – This is almost Fifty– in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. We also hear from Jacqueline’s mentor Sophie McBain of the New Statesman as she uncovers an intriguing story from her family’s past. The episode contains some very strong language which some people may find offensive.
David Clancy
Michael introduces David Clancy, a hairdressing writer from the Cumbrian festival town of Ulverston whose non-fiction prose on LGBTQ+ issues is sharper than his scissors. You’ll hear Stoned at the Hairdressers, David’s piece about a neon sign which helped reclaim his identity from childhood bullies, performed live by Michael Sheen at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. David’s mentor Brian Reade has been writing columns for the Daily Mirror since the days of Thatcher. He shares how a hairdressing Liverpudlian was part of a local scene of working class artists taking on the world, inspiring a young Brian to a career as one of our most respected newspaper writers.
Becka White
Michael introduces Becka White, a writer from south-east London and her mentor Ellen Peirson-Hagger of the New Statesman. The episode deals with imposter syndrome, something up to 90% of us feel. It doesn’t matter if you’re the first man on the moon or a new writer, like Becka. Her piece In At The Deep End deals with the fall-out of Thatcherism and you’ll hear Michael Sheen perform it in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Tammie Ash
Michael introduces Tammie Ash, a new writer from Bradford and her mentor Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman. Host Michael delves into how our family history foreshadows our future. Tammie’s Indian heritage has inspired her writing, her grandmother’s hand-me-down Hindu mythology seeping through the sentences. Armenian folk tales helped Anoosh connect with her father’s side of the family. And Michael Sheen shares a story about his great-great-grandmother you’ll want to hear. The episode ends with a performance of Tammie’s story, The Beautiful Demon, by Michael in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Elias Suhail
Michael introduces Elias Suhail, a new writer based in Folkestone, and his mentor, Ros Wynne-Jones of the Daily Mirror. British-Moroccan, Elias hopes to use his experiences to tell stories that offer a deeper understanding of the multiplicity of Arab identity. His piece, No Regrets, hones in on a pivotal moment in his mother’s life, and is performed live by the actor Raghad Chaar in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Anna Maxwell
Michael introduces Anna Maxwell, a new writer based in Lancaster, and her mentor, the playwright Siân Owen. Host Sheen explores British theatre’s relationship with working class writers, before performing an extract from Anna’s monologue Square Peg in front of a live audience at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Call Mum Home by Stephen Tuffin
In this bonus episode, Michael performs Call Mum Home, a story by the writer Stephen Tuffin about the last days of his mother’s life. Over his rich and raw life, Stephen’s scratched a living as everything from a butcher’s boy to a builder, a care home assistant to a cabbie. He’s now a creative writer teacher passionate about telling working class stories.
We Must Slay Giants by Mayo Agard-Olubo
In this bonus episode, Kofi De-Graft-Jordan performs We Must Slay Giants, a fierce and fun fantastical allegory by the writer Mayo Agard-Olubo. Mayo is a writer and poet from London hooked on the rhythms of language and the possibilities presented by the creation of other worlds.
Square Peg by Anna Maxwell
In this bonus episode, Michael performs Square Peg, a dramatic monologue by Anna Maxwell. Lancastrian Anna has written since her school days but joining a creative writing group in her local library kickstarted her journey to writing this character-driven story which comes alive when Sheen inhabits the protagonist of the piece.