Jet Moon is a queer working class disabled writer who works to create intimate spaces of sharing and visibility with marginalised communities. Their writing and community events arise from a personal need to make sense of their own experiences, both individually and collectively, and to value the power of our stories. Jet has worked for many years within their LGBTIQ, kink, sex worker, disabled and survivor communities. Jet believes in collaboration and sharing peer to peer knowledge as essential practices in building transformative communities.
Jet says: “Writing is a powerful tool, a weird obsession, a place to immerse myself, to excavate personal history. To prove to myself that ‘Yes, that really happened’, to give context, transmute, mark myself into existence. To find something more than wreckage, and in the process, discover ways to connect with myself and others. Writing is a way that I’ve pushed back against erasure, misinformation and loss.
Writing my own story has made me able to listen to others. The more I have space to listen and share with my peers, the more I believe in our shared wisdom. It’s from my peers that I’ve learned to clearly recognise my own experience; and believe in something other than the shallow narratives written ‘about us’. Peer to peer spaces have shown me new possibilities – for envisioning who I am or what I can be – they have given me strength.
‘You Are Here’ – peer to peer survivor writing – is my second survivor writing platform with Spread the Word. Building on the previous Playing With Fire and funded by Arts Council England,‘You Are Here’ offers an expanded series of workshops, and a new collaborative partnership with Wellcome Collection; to curate a series of survivor writer interviews for the archive. I’m also very happy to have time to write, with Olumide Popoola as mentor, so I can finish my book ‘Artists Are Demons’.
‘Artists Are Demons’ is an inaccurate memoir/a novel jumping to magical realism/a parable. A glittering time capsule of a big queer city. Filled with anarchist collectives, lesbian strip clubs, rebellious sex workers; juxtaposed against the brutality of refugee camps and the War on Terror. The book is a romantic re-imagining and a reflection on painful mistakes. A parallel to events in the present day.”
‘You Are Here’ peer to peer survivor writers – workshops and writers group – call for applications
You Are Here has two offerings. We ask that if possible, you only apply for one offering. Choose the one that feels most right for where you are at the moment, as we want to be able to offer as many people an opportunity to be part of You Are Here as we can within the framework of the offerings.
(1) A half-day survivor writers workshop, on Saturday 7 October and Sunday 8 October 2023. You may apply for ONE of these dates. More info and apply here: spreadtheword.org.uk/you-are-here-offering-one-information-and-how-to-apply/
(2) A writers group, which will meet twice a month for a series of five consecutive workshops. Meeting every two weeks for a series of five sessions, From Saturday October 21 to Saturday December 16 2023. More info and apply here: spreadtheword.org.uk/you-are-here-offering-two-information-and-how-to-apply/
All workshops/groups will take place online via zoom. Workshops and the Writers group are facilitated by Jet Moon and are free to attend.
The deadline for applications is: 5pm on Friday 15 September
The forms vary slightly according to whether you apply for the half-day survivor writers workshop or the writers group but will ask you for the following:
- Your contact details (name; tel/ mobile; email; address including postcode);
- Your preferred pronouns;
- Tell us something about yourself;
- Tell us why you want to be part of the programme (there is no need to disclose intimate details of trauma);
- An example of your writing;
- Any additional access needs you may have.
Original Artwork for ‘You Are Here’ by Anka Dabrowska
Published Monday 17 July 2023