Public lectures have been part of our story for generations, opening our doors to communities and sparking conversations that stay with people long after the event ends. With Purpose to Pen, we’re building on that legacy in a fresh way.
Tickets will be £9 with every pound raised going toward supporting our mission to bring lifelong learning within reach of adults across England and Scotland.
More about the series
Every writer has a reason they put pen to paper - to give voice to the unheard, to preserve history, to entertain, to challenge, to connect, to help us feel less alone.
In this series, you’ll hear from writers working in a range of genres and forms and you’ll be able to ask your questions too.
Get to know more about the writers
- James Clarke - One of our most popular tutors and a widely published film writer whose books explore iconic actors, directors, animation and geek culture. His work appears in Empire, Little White Lies and The Guardian, and he’s a BAFTA‑longlisted screenwriter whose films have premiered at the BFI IMAX.
- Derek Owusu - Award‑winning writer and poet whose work spans the BBC, ITV, Granta, Esquire, GQ and Tate Britain. His debut That Reminds Me won the Desmond Elliott Prize; his third novel, Borderline Fiction, was published in 2025.
- C.L. Taylor - Nine‑times Sunday Times bestselling thriller author with over two million UK sales, multiple awards, three Richard & Judy picks and acclaimed YA fiction including the award‑winning The Island.
- Marsha O’Mahony - Writer and oral historian with 30 years’ experience capturing community stories, from the River Wye to the Irish diaspora. Story Fellow at Cardiff Metropolitan University and lead on the Voices of the River Wye project.
- Liz John - Playwright and screenwriter whose work includes national theatre tours, award‑nominated short films and 25+ episodes of Doctors. A writer for The Archers since 2017 and founder of BOLDtext Playwrights.
- Lucinda Hawksley - Author, art historian and public speaker specialising in 19th‑ and early‑20th‑century culture. An award‑winning travel writer and great‑great‑great granddaughter of Charles Dickens, with books including Lizzie Siddal, March, Women, March and The Mystery of Princess Louise.
