You have probably been writing for a while, already done a number of courses, maybe even a creative writing MA, but you still have that unfinished manuscript or a set of not-quite-there poems and don’t know what to do to get them to a point where you’re happy with them. Perhaps you’ve had some agent interest, maybe even some knock backs and you’re feeling disheartened or – worse – like an imposter (happens to us all!).

GROW is about much more than racing to the finish line of publishing and winning book deals to wild acclaim, it’s about giving yourself permission to take your writing seriously, making time for it and empowering yourself to live an enriching life with writing at its heart.

Mentors can help you to clear space, put the work first and engage meaningfully, with calm focus on your imagination and on making connections with a creative community – you may just find that the rest will follow naturally.

How does it work?

GROW offers the opportunity to request a mentor who best fits your needs, someone you can work with on a one-off basis or over a longer period of time. You can decide this – you may simply want a quick initial manuscript assessment or an eye on a few poems and then you’re free to come back for more detailed input down the line if you want to. Many different combinations and durations of support are available – just get in touch to discuss this with us.

Our small team of busy writers have limited space available, so it’s possible that if you apply to GROW you might not the mentor you ask for but we will do our best! Our focus will be on those writers we feel we can really help to nurture and achieve their writing goals. Once accepted, you will work with your mentor to identify what you can achieve together and come up with a plan that will guide your work.

Most meetings with mentors will take place online via Zoom. If mentors and writers agree to meet face to face, this will take place in an appropriate public venue.

Black Writing Matters - a new partnership with Paper Nations

Dialect has teamed up with Paper Nations to offer Black writers in South West England a bursary for 50% off the cost of mentoring.

Paper Nations is a creative writing incubator based at Bath Spa University. Their latest programme is Black Writing Matters, which seeks to foster infrastructures of support for writers of colour in the South West of England.

Through GROW, we are offering writers of colour 1-3 hours of mentoring per month over the course of 6 months (at a cost of £25 per hour, instead of the usual £57.50). Applicants can work with any mentor of their choosing. Apply via the form below, and ensure you tick the box for the Black Writing Matters partnership. Simple!

Meet the mentors

We are thrilled to have a team of very experienced writer mentors who are able to offer feedback and advice on the fine detail of your work as well as the bigger picture of your life as a writer. Each of our mentors specialises in particular genres and forms of writing, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction and everything in between - see below for further information.