Sifters and Readers

Troy Cabida is the author of Symmetric of Bone (fourteen poems, 2024) and War Dove (Bad Betty Press, 2020). His recent work appears in State of Play, Bi+ Lines, 100 Queer Poems, Seaford Review, and Tiffany & Co., and has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize for Poetry 2024. His debut collection, Neon Manila, is forthcoming with Nine Arches Press in 2025. 

Author photo by Jack Westmore.

Anna Woodford is the author of five poetry books and pamphlets: Changing Room (Salt, 2018), Birdhouse (Salt, 2010), Party Piece (Smith Doorstop, 2009), Trailer (Five Leaves, 2008) and The Higgins’ Honeymoon (2003). She has won an Authors’ Foundation award, an Eric Gregory award, a PBS recommendation, an Arvon/Jerwood apprenticeship and two Northern Writers’ Awards.

Eilidh Akilade is a literature worker and writer from Glasgow. Working on the Writing Communities team at Scottish Book Trust, she supports both emerging and established writers across a number of development programmes. She is also currently Intersections Editor at The Skinny and her writing can be found in publications such as MAP Magazine, Gutter, Extra Teeth, Bad Form, and gal-dem, amongst others.

Author photo by Kate McMahon.

Rozie Kelly is a prose writer based in West Yorkshire. After reading English Literature and Creative Writing she moved to Hebden Bridge, where she works for the Arvon Foundation, hosting creative writing courses. She was shortlisted for the PFD Queer Fiction Prize 2023 and is one of the eight participants in the inaugural Prototype Development Programme, which offers extended support and career development to emerging writers and artists. She won the 2024 NorthBound Book Award for Kingfisher, her debut novel. 

Author photo by Java Bere.

John Hunter is a script writer, script reader and script editor based in Sheffield and a proud alumni of Sheffield Theatres’ Artist Development programme and Screen Yorkshire’s FLEX scheme. His theatre writing has been performed at the Crucible, Barbican, Lowry and Singapore Arts Festival as well as many venues where you wouldn’t normally find theatre. He has also written content for several CBBC online games – even getting to write in-game dialogue for Dick & Dom. John works as a freelance reader for a number of TV and film production companies, has script edited independent horror and animated family feature films and works directly with writers in the UK and USA to develop new projects. Most of his own stories have a ghost or robot in them. But not all of them.

Ashley Thorpe lives in Manchester and writes children’s fantasy fiction. His first book The Boy to Beat the Gods takes inspiration from West African mythology. He is a passionate trustee of the Manchester Libraries Trust and works as an editor at the inclusive fiction studio Storymix.