“Exist in messiness. That might just be what adulthood is like.”
– Michael Donkor
SNWF 2021

Our Mission

Surrey New Writers Festival is collaboratively run by staff and students in Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Surrey. The Festival aims to highlight new writing from emerging and established authors around the UK, and to bring a variety of forms, genres, and voices to our audiences. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all writers and readers, both within our university and the wider community, and we actively support discussions and forums that delve into the intricacies of the writing process and connections to topical and contemporary themes in literature.

Liz Bahs: Festival Director (2018-2021)
https://surreynewwritersfest.com/liz-bahs-2/

Stephen Mooney: Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Surrey
https://surreynewwritersfest.com/stephen-mooney/

Bran Nicol: Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of FASS
https://surreynewwritersfest.com/bran-nichol-2/

2023 Festival Team

From left to right:
First row – Creative Director: Geneviève, Social Media Director: Chiara Fumanti And Academic Lead: Dr. Liz Bahs
Second row – Head Writers: Sharron Green & Albie Fasseau

About the Team

Geneviève

Hey there I’m Geneviève, Creative Director of this year’s Surrey New Writer’s Festival. I hail from the U.S. and came to the U.K. in 2004 where I got my first MA in Performance Studies. I’m a coach, trainer, bodyworker/massage therapist and theatre maker. I’ve just finished my second MA in Creative Writing, and will be starting my PhD at the University of Surrey in April. I make poetry that performs, both on the page and on the stage. I’m so lucky to be doing my part in this year’s festival. It’s going to be the best! I hope to see you there!

Chiara

Hi, I’m Chiara, this year’s Social Media Director! I am an Italian writer, actress and singer based in London. I hold a Level 6 Diploma in Musical Theatre, a BA in Theatre and have recently finished my MA in Creative Writing ! In my writing, I love to blend fiction and real-life stories, and take much of my inspiration from my own experiences and from the people I love. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Surrey New Writers Festival 2023!

Liz Bahs

Hi, I’m Liz, Surrey New Writing Festival’s Academic Lead. I am also Programme Director for the BA in English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey. My favourite forms are long poems and poetry sequences but my comfort reading is always detective fiction (especially Agatha Christie).

Sharron

Hello, I’m Sharron Green, also known as @rhymes_n_roses on social media. I’m a ‘poet of a certain age’ and my poems have elements of nostalgia, attempting to make sense of modern life and celebrate nature. I experiment with rhymes and poetic forms and have recently dabbled with free verse. I’ve had poems published in over fifteen international anthologies and produced two booklets, ‘Introducing Rhymes_n_Roses’ and ‘Viral Odes’, a collection of pandemic poems published by Ink Gladiators Press. Both are available via my website https://rhymesnroses.com and from online bookshops.

In 2021 I completed an MA in Creative Writing at Surrey and have poems in ‘High Salvage’, a University of Surrey publication from Potential Books. I enjoy performing my poems and in 2022 launched a monthly ‘Poetry and Pizza’ open mic at Solar Sisters cafe in Guildford where I also co-host Poetry Party workshops with fellow poets Trisha Broomfield and Heather Moulson. Helping to build community in person and online are important to me and as a Head Writer for the 2023 Surrey New Writers Festival I am looking forward to engaging with festival supporters and meeting those that can attend on May 27th.

Albie

Hi, I’m Albie, an English literature with creative writing undergraduate at the University of Surrey and one of the head writers for this year’s festival. I primarily read novels but have recently been drawn to short stories, most recently the collection Open Secrets by Alice Munro. My favourite books are Frankenstein, Slaughterhouse 5 and The Picture of Dorian Grey but I always love a good dystopian book series. I’m so excited to be part of the festival again!

Past Festival Teams

2022