Offering support to black, asian and ethnic minority writers from the Midlands, we learn more about Middle Way Mentoring...
The Middle Way Mentoring Project is a literary development programme for Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minorities from the Midlands. Its aim is to create an exciting new generation of diverse voices and secure opportunities for people in the BAME community.
This inspiring new project, led by writer and publisher Farhana Shaikh, had such a successful first round that it has secured significant funding for a second. The funding has come from Arts Council England, who have doubled their investment from £35k to £75. Farhana Shaikh said she was “thrilled that Arts Council England have recognised the need for a scheme like theirs, which directly supports those who are often ignored by the mainstream”. On top of the new investment, the project is partnered with companies such as Bookouture, The Literary Consultancy, Curve Leicester, Writing West Midlands and Dahlia Books.
Bookouture in particular highlights the immense positives connected to a project like this. The managing director Jenny Geras said:
“Talking to Farhana about her incredible plans for Middle Way Mentoring is always inspiring and energising. Bookouture are so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her and to support Middle Way Mentoring in their mission to help Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic writers develop their craft and build on their knowledge of the publishing industry.”
This inspiring new project, led by writer and publisher Farhana Shaikh, had such a successful first round that it has secured significant funding for a second
Farhana says the schemes success is slowly becoming apparent, as they are “beginning to see the fantastic outcomes, with all seven writers going on to make outstanding progress on their writing journey”. For example, Shahed Yousaf’s book Stitched Up was published by Penguin after securing representation from Simon Trewin. Kalbinder Kaur was a runner up in the Mo Siewcharran Prize and Nazira Vania was shortlisted in the SI Leeds Literary Prize. Regardless of the success, the founder insists the scheme is designed to look beyond just publications. She states “The Middle Way Mentoring project is about exploring possibilities and opening access to networks. We want to support writers on their journey and guide them with the tools to help them develop a sustainable writing practice.”
This second round will offer 14 new and emerging prose writers the opportunity to learn under industry experts and seasoned writers. In the first year, mentees will focus on developing the craft of writing, with support from mentor guides such as Michael Donkor, Kerry Young, Leone Ross, Kasim Ali among others. Then they will be paired with an established author and receive critical feedback on their new work. Those same authors will also be delivering monthly masterclasses, in order to develop students writing further. This will then be followed by a series of workshops and talks led by industry experts in the second year to help demystify how publishing works.
Applications close on the 27th March, with the programme launching in late April. Submissions are open to unagented, unpublished writers from a Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic background based in the Midlands. Prospective applicants are invited to join an open Zoom session on March 11th.
For more details and to apply visit the website.
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