Creativity in Brightlingsea is on the increase, now that the town has not just one but two writers-in-residence.
Brightlingsea Lido was the first to make the innovative move, three years ago, to appoint local author Ruth Loten as its writer-in-residence.
Now Ruth is moving on from that role, to become writer-in-residence at the Thames Estuary Lobster Hatchery in Brightlingsea – a venue that has hosted several Brightlingsea WinterFest events.
Taking over the position of writer-in-residence at Brightlingsea Lido is local performance poet, writer and abstract artist “mj”, who goes by the initials of her first name. Both Ruth and mj are planning to encourage and inspire people of all ages in Brightlingsea to discover and develop their creative talents.
During her time at The Lido Ruth worked alongside the artists-in-residence there, Chrissie Richards and Becky Jackson and was involved in the publication of three books and a major art project, all inspired by The Lido and its 90 year history. Some of Ruth’s own books, in her Avonstow series, also feature The Lido.
“I have really enjoyed my time at The Lido and, having been there for three years, I felt it was time to move on to something different,” Ruth said.
“I am hoping to raise the profile of The Hatchery and highlight the great work going on there. It is such an asset for Brightlingsea and there will be a wealth of opportunities for people to become more aware of the heritage of the town, its fishing industry and connection to the sea.”
Ruth is the co-founder and director of the publishing company Castle Priory Press. She publishes adult books under her own name and children’s books under the pen name Henrietta Edwards. Ruth’s next book for adults, ‘Silver Darling’ is planned for release later in 2025.
She has also been published in various anthologies and has helped to edit many of them.
Looking forward her new role as writer-in-residence at The Lido, mj has plans to connect with local people and promote creativity.
She describes herself as a beachcomber and custodian of words and said: “Living by the sea brings a lot of inspiration and, although I’m not a swimmer, I love being by the water and find it calming and cathartic. I am excited about joining the Lido’s creative team and plan to be at the Lido Cafe, inspiring and supporting others with their writing, whilst also working on my fantasy novel.
“I want to be approachable and share ideas with people and to use poetry as a way of telling stories and conveying emotions and experiences. I like to use my own observational skills as a people watcher and my own struggles with mental health to create a rich text of poetry and stories.”
Both Ruth and mj have been involved in helping to make Brightlingsea Literary Festival a great success. The festival, which was launched three years ago, is run by the BrightWords Creative Writing Group and has taken place in association with Brightlingsea WinterFest.
