Which landmarks, shops, spaces, cultural places on Woolwich High Street stand out to you and why? Consider what the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse would say if it could talk? Which windows do you stare in when you dream, imagining yourself in the clothes of well-dressed mannequins? What do you do when it’s sunny? When it’s rainy? What are the old and new stories that Woolwich has to tell?
Spread the Word has commissioned Merrie Joy Williams to explore the story of Woolwich High Street, as part of High Street Tales. High Street Tales is part of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones cultural programme, which has appointed the seven English regional literature development agencies to lead on exploring one high street in their region. In London, Spread the Word selected Woolwich High Street.
Woolwich High Street: Writing Our Lives is a creative writing workshop for people living in Woolwich or who have lived there in the past to share their tales of Woolwich High Street.
Merrie would like to invite you to bring an item or a memory of Powis Street and the surrounding area to share with the group. They can be from the past, present, or even the future. It could be a shop itself, or a person, an event or an item. They can be as fun or as serious as you like – as long as they mean something to you and your life in Woolwich.
The workshops are free to attend and are open to everyone – you don’t have to be a writer to be involved, aged 18+. Places are limited to 15 per workshop.
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About Merrie
Merrie Joy Williams
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Merrie Joy Williams is a poet, novelist, editor, and writing tutor, with an MA in Creative Writing from the Manchester Writing School. She was shortlisted for the 2020 Bridport Poetry Prize, and is a winner of The Poetry Archive’s ‘Wordview 2020’, featured permanently on their website. She is also the recipient of a London Writers Award, and Arts Council England awards for both poetry and fiction. Her current work and focusses on places, roots, and their effects on who we are. Her debut collection is ‘Open Windows’ (Waterloo Press, 2019).