Academic Writers in Residence

The University of Worcester’s three Academic Writers in Residence are here to help.

 

Professional, published writers and Royal Literary Fund Fellows, Mike Woods, Sarah Hilary and Mirza Waheed, offer confidential, one-to-one tutorials for students in all subject areas and to support all aspects of academic writing. This includes essays, reports, theses, dissertations, or personal statements. Sessions last up to 50 minutes. Our free service is provided by the Royal Literary Fund (RLF) which sponsors over 80 writers to work in universities across the UK.

Students of any discipline, at any level of study – from 1st year to postgraduate, and also staff – are welcome to book a session.

Sign up for a one-to-one tutorial to help you:

  • Express your ideas more clearly
  • Increase understanding of grammar and punctuation
  • Improve your writing and editing skills
  • Benefit from more efficient time management
  • Potentially raise your marks

Michael Woods      

Michael is a poet with three collections - Absence Notes, Algebra and Opening Time published by Templar Poetry. His poems have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Answering Back, Out of Fashion and Empty Nest - all edited by Carol Ann Duffy. Others have won prizes in the Bridport, Ledbury, Writers’ Handbook, Hungry Hill and Poetry on the Lake competitions. He is currently working on his fourth collection.

Email: mike.woods@rlfeducation.org.uk

Sarah Hilary   

Sarah is an award-winning crime writer whose debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year. Her short stories have won the Cheshire Prize for Literature, the SENSE prize, and the Fish Criminally Short Histories Prize. As well as writing, Sarah teaches crime fiction and mentors its rising stars. Her eighth book, Black Thorn, came out in 2023.

Email: sarah.hilary@rlfeducation.org.uk

Mirza Waheed

Waheed is a novelist and essayist. His debut novel, The Collaborator, was an international bestseller, a finalist for the Guardian First Book Award and longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. His second novel, The Book of Gold Leaves, was published in 2014 to critical acclaim. It was shortlisted for the DSC Prize 2016 and nominated for the Folio Prize. It was also a finalist for the 2015 Tata Literature Live! Book of the Year. Waheed’s third novel Tell Her Everything won the Hindu Prize for Fiction 2019.

Email: Mirza.Waheed@rlfeducation.org.uk

 

 

Booking sessions

Tutorials with Mike (who covers Mondays and Tuesdays on campus), Sarah (who covers Wednesdays on campus and Thursdays online) and Waheed (Fridays online) last up to 50 minutes, and can be booked by emailing them direct. Face to face sessions take place in Edward Elgar G107 on the St. John’s campus.

mike.woods@rlfeducation.org.uk or sarah.hilary@rlfeducation.org.uk or Mirza.Waheed@rlfeducation.org.uk

Please ensure that you use your UW email address.

Please note that RLF Writers in Residence cannot give advice by email, and do not provide a proof-reading service or support with basic English language skills. Otherwise, they look forward to hearing from you!