This opportunity is for Wales-based writers over the age of 18 who are Deaf and/or Disabled and/or Neurodivergent according to the *social model of disability.

*The Social Model of Disability holds that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference.

We welcome an application from you if you are a highly committed writer looking to expand their writing toolkit, and for those who haven’t yet explored their disabled identity or express their lived experience in their creative work.  Reinventing the Protagonist is suitable for writers of all genres, including poetry, prose, and monologue.

The Programme will be delivered in English. However, we welcome writers who primarily write in Welsh to join, as the skills and craft you will learn will apply to creative writing in all languages. With advice from Disability Arts Cymru, we will ask all writers to share access requirements so we can provide adequate support where needed. If you would like to discuss your access requirements prior to applying for this opportunity, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Staff members from Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru will be on hand to answer any questions you may have during an informal digital session, which will be held on Tuesday 4 November 1.00-2.00 pm

Alternatively, please feel free to reach out to Disability Arts Cymru or Literature Wales to discuss any issue that makes applying for this opportunity difficult:

Literature Wales: post@literaturewales.org or 01766 522 811 (Tŷ Newydd Office) / 02920 472266 (Cardiff Office).

Disability Arts Cymru: post@dacymru.com

Yes. But due to the high volume of applications to each opportunity, it may be useful for you to be aware of the main objectives of each, so that you can apply to the most relevant one for your current stage of development.

Reinventing the Protagonist is an intense writing retreat to develop the skills of 8 Deaf/Disabled and/or Neurodiverse writers. It is led by Kaite O’Reilly and specifically concentrates on how to be more inclusive and representative in the creation of characters, perspectives, narratives, and fictional worlds. It is for Deaf and/or Disabled and/or Neurodivergent writers to expand their creative toolkit, and for those who haven’t yet explored their disabled identity to express their lived experience. There is a weekend retreat at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, followed several months later by a one-to-one tutorial with Kaite and a sharing event.

Representing Wales is a 12-month programme which provides development opportunities for 12 writers currently underrepresented in the literature sector in Wales. It is an intense training programme on craft and on professional career development featuring world-renowned writers as tutors and guest speakers including online writing rooms and writing masterclasses, one of which will be a residential weekend at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre. The programme also includes a personal mentor and a bursary.

Writing Well is a 15-month development programme for 6 literary facilitators in Wales. Its focus is to develop and enhance the skills and knowledge needed to facilitate literary activities in the community, specifically in the field of Health and Well-being. The programme is in two parts and is offered annually to writers. Part one offers intense training and mentoring, and part two supports the cohort of facilitators to create and deliver participatory projects which benefit the health and well-being of participants.

We are looking for highly committed emerging and mid-career writers looking to expand their writing toolkit, and for those who haven’t yet explored their disabled identity to express their lived experience.  You don’t necessarily need extensive writing experience, only good ideas and a positive and determined attitude. Reinventing the Protagonist will help you develop the toolkit you need to start and continue your journey as a writer. Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru will be there throughout to offer support.

However, if you are already an experienced writer, for example you may have published your own pamphlet or a book, you might still find that there are barriers which prevent you from reaching your full potential, or you might want to experiment with a different literary form or language. Everyone will have a different definition of what experience means, and where they believe themselves to be on their journey as a writer.

Applications will be assessed by a panel of staff representing Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru and the tutor, Kaite O’Reilly. We will inform all applicants of the outcome by the end of January 2026. We will select up to 8 successful writers for this opportunity.

Our decision will be based on the quality and potential of your work, on the originality of your application, and on your understanding of the purpose of the programme and how it could impact your professional development as a writer. To ensure a diverse cohort of writers, we might also take into consideration geographical location, disclosed protected characteristics, languages, and whether you have received similar opportunities in the past.

Disability Arts Cymru will advise on Access Riders for all successful applicants so we can provide adequate support where needed. We can provide a template if helpful, and staff from Disability Arts Cymru and Literature Wales will be on hand to help.

We will ask all successful applicants to fully commit to taking part in the whole programme.

As we are expecting a high number of applications, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback on each one. However, where possible we will provide a short, personalised line of feedback, and advise on other opportunities Literature Wales and partners may have available.

We are aware that correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications can have a negative impact on your health and well-being. We give our pledge to respect and value each individual application, giving it due consideration and attention.

A small team of Literature Wales staff members will have access to your submitted creative work. In line with our talent-scouting and signposting strategy, we may get in touch in the future with personalised opportunities, based on your work and your expertise. To enable Literature Wales to comply with data protection law (GDPR), please complete the relevant section at the end of the application form to let us know if you don’t want to be contacted by Literature Wales about offers in the future.

A small team of Literature Wales staff members will have access to your submitted creative work. In line with our talent-scouting and signposting strategy, we may get in touch in the future with personalised opportunities, based on your work and your expertise. To enable Literature Wales to comply with data protection law (GDPR), please complete the relevant section at the end of the application form to let us know if you don’t want to be contacted by Literature Wales about offers in the future. 

Reinventing the Protagonist includes a residential course, a follow-up one-to-one tutorial, and an online sharing event. Each participant will need to commit to each part fully.

The weekend retreat takes place at Tŷ Newydd between Friday 27 – Sunday 29 March 2026. We will ensure that your journey to, and stay at, Tŷ Newydd is as comfortable, safe and accessible as possible for your needs. This might include ensuring an accessible room, factoring breaks into the programme, paying for an interpreter or welcoming a personal assistant.

With your permission, we will communicate any relevant information about your needs or requirements to the tutor either before the retreat, or during the retreat as required, and will support the tutor if any alterations might need to be made.

We might suggest an informal meeting between you, the staff and the tutor upon arrival to discuss the days ahead to make sure that you are happy.

Staff members will be the main point of call for access and health or well-being issues during a residential stay.

The one-to-one tutorial with Kaite O’Reilly will be delivered on the video platform service, Zoom, and will be scheduled at a convenient time for you both in June. You can join Zoom for free, or you can join as a guest. You will need a device with a microphone and a webcam (mobile phone, laptop, or computer), and a stable connection to the internet to take part.

In addition to ensuring you have set aside time for the formal learning during the retreat and one-to-one session, you will also need to consider the time you’ll need to apply what you’ve learnt to your writing and developing your writing projects in your own time.

No.

In partnership with Disability Arts Cymru, we will facilitate a soft aftercare programme to encourage the development of the writers after the programme ends. We will digitally share upcoming opportunities and check in with all writers 6 months after the programme finishes. We will also encourage the cohort to continue to meet online to discuss progress, barriers, good practice, and to share work in progress.

Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru will share further writer development opportunities and publishing opportunities with all participants long-term.