Writing Creativity Social Justice
WHO WE ARE
Wind&Bones is a project run by Dr. Hannah Stevens and Dr. Will Buckingham, exploring the crossing-places between creativity, writing and social justice.
We believe writing is transformative. It can revolutionise how we see ourselves and each other, help forge community, and give us the tools to imagine and to build a more just, kinder and wiser world.
We take our name from Liu Xie, the sixth century Chinese writer. For Liu, good writing requires a combination of liveliness (wind) and rigour (bone)
蔚彼風力，嚴此骨鯁。
“So cultivate the strength of the wind, and make the bone robust.” — Liu Xie
WHAT WE DO
We run projects that explore the intersections of creativity, writing and social justice.
TRAINING
Wind&Bones offers training for community groups, voluntary sector organisations, creative practitioners, academic institutions and the general public.
We provide bespoke storytelling, writing, communication and creativity workshops. Our workshops stimulate creative thought and develop richer, more powerful approaches to communication.
CONSULTANCY
We provide creative consultancy services for organisations of all sizes. We reimagine your goals, provide fresh perspectives, and find new approaches to communicating with your audiences.
We have worked with a wide range of partners: from major international publishers, to think-tanks, to grassroots educational organisations.
WRITING
As experienced writers, editors and content providers, Wind&Bones offer writing and editorial services for creative and professional projects that make a difference in the world.
HANNAH AND WILL
We are Hannah Stevens and Will Buckingham. We are experienced writers, workshop leaders and literary activists. We established Wind&Bones back in 2017 to explore our interests at the intersection of writing, creativity and social justice. Between us we have over a quarter of a century of experience in writing and activism.
Dr. Hannah Stevens
Writes fiction & nonfiction || PhD in Creative Writing
Hannah is a short story writer. She has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Leicester. Hannah’s first book-length collection, In Their Absence, will be published by Roman Books in autumn 2019. Her chapbook The Perseids is forthcoming from TSS press.
Hannah’s first short story collection, Without Makeup and Other Stories, was published by Crystal Clear Creators in 2012, and her stories have been anthologised in books from Valley Press (High Spirits: A Round of Drinking Stories) and Unthank Books (Unthology 10), and published in a wide range of literary journals.
Hannah has taught creative writing in the community, in schools and at the University of Leicester. Hannah has also has worked for years in the voluntary and charity sectors. For several years she was a a trustee for the charity Trade Sexual Health, and she has substantial experience of working on projects relating to gender, equality and LGBTQ+ issues.
You can find out more about Hannah on her personal website.
Dr. Will Buckingham
Writes fiction, nonfiction & for children || PhD in philosophy
Will is a writer with two decades of experience running workshops in writing, philosophy and creativity. He has a PhD in philosophy from Staffordshire University, and a masters degree in social anthropology. He has been Reader in Writing and Creativity at De Montfort University, visiting professor at the Parami Institute, Yangon, and visiting scholar at Sichuan University. He has also worked on a wide range of grassroots and community-based projects. He writes fiction, creative non-fiction and books for children.
He has published extensively. He is currently working on a book for Granta called Hello Stranger, about finding creative ways to respond to living in a world of many strangers. His other books include a children’s novel, Lucy and the Rocket Dog with Knopf (2017), the creative nonfiction book Stealing with the Eyes: Imaginings and Incantations in Indonesia (Haus Publishing, 2018), and a manual for novelists (Teach Yourself: Complete Write a Novel Course). He was also contributor to Dorling Kindersley’s globally bestselling The Philosophy Book. There’s more information about Will’s work on his personal website. Will is represented by Emma Finn at C+W Agency in London.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?
“This writing workshop is recommended for anyone who wants to develop the confidence to become a better writer. Will and Hannah are prolific writers who foster a strong, collaborative community from their writing prompts and the way they draw from literature and their own writing experiences. The teachers are genuine, compassionate human beings who understand that writing is personal–and they succeed in getting you to overcome your fears to get something, anything, on paper.”
— student on Writing, Myth and Tradition
“A practical, enjoyable and skilfully delivered program… I found the balance of practicality and idealism impressive and was particularly pleased by the very down-to-earth, realistic advice about a writing career than can only come from two people who have committed their lives to literature and the creative process.”
— student on Writing, Myth and Tradition
“What a creative workshop! You made creative writing both fun and interesting.”
— Sayama Nan Chit Po, teacher from the Education Gathering Group.
“Thank you both for being such fantastic, inspiring teachers”
— student on Writing, Myth and Tradition.
“I have done both courses offered by Wind&Bones. They have both been great. Inspiring. Interesting. Organized and above all helpful. Will and Hannah give such practical feedback. So much so that I entered the course with limited experience but now have an idea and road map to a book. Eternally grateful guys. Thank you.”
— student on Writing, Myth and Tradition and Remaking the World.