The Write Place: Arkbound's writing workshops and crowdfunders

Scotland’s literary culture is second to none: Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, book festivals take over the country throughout the year, and Rabbie Burns’ face seems to be everywhere. But maybe the most welcome part of Scotland’s book culture is the network of support that is offered to emerging and local writers, with workshops, grassroots festivals and mentorship schemes available to help new writers navigate the complex landscape.

One of the latest ventures to offer this kind of support is the Arkbound Foundation, an incredible charity project split between Glasgow and Bristol that is dedicated to opening access to literature and publishing for people from various different diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. Knowing how to break into the writing and publishing business can be tricky – Scotland has a rich book culture but it can sometimes feel overwhelming knowing where to position yourself within it and how to make connections.

Arkbound’s creative writing outreach works to uncomplicate the landscape; their recent mentorship programme in Govanhill took place over four months, pairing seven emerging writers with recognised writers in the area. This kind of one-to-one mentorship has proven essential in establishing many new writers’ careers, providing unique support that is tailored to each person’s specific needs and interests.

As well as individual mentorship, the programme also included a series of workshops spread out over six weeks, each run by a different facilitator from the local community. Writing and publishing are very much an industry, with the same logistical and financial concerns that other sectors have. To this end, Arkbound’s workshops were split in two, with half of the sessions focusing on developing creative writing skills, and the other half to exploring pressing themes related to the cost of living crisis, including issues of health inequality and freedom and solidarity. These sessions help to foster new skills, as well as aiding new writers to establish a sense of community both with those already in the sector and their peers.

Helping emerging writers find roots in the sector involves all kind of support, from the communal and social to the material and financial. With indie presses folding and funding models slowly dwindling, there is an urgent gap in the sector to help new writers, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, find their feet. Arkbound have introduced a new initiative in addition to their workshop series: Crowdbound, a dedicated website for sourcing crowdfunding for books and other social and environmental projects, offers an opportunity for creatives to see their projects become a reality.

While there are multiple crowdfunding platforms out there, Crowdbound has all the expertise and industry-specific knowledge of Arkbound behind it, and as a charitably-run crowdfunder, it provides all kinds of support not normally offered. Unlike other websites, Crowdbound keeps costs low to ensure accessibility, offers a target for covering publishing costs and doesn’t take any money raised above that, and offers targeted, one-to-one support and social media coverage.

Focused on projects – both literary and otherwise – that revolve around social inclusion and environmental sustainability, Crowdbound fits neatly within Arkbound’s wider project, to ensure access within the creative field for people of all backgrounds. Anyone can donate to support one of their Crowdbound projects, or donate to the charity as a whole, and as they are a charity, Gift Aid is added to almost all donations. It taps into the most exciting part of Scotland’s literary landscape: the sense of community and possibility that continues a rich and storied history.

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Find out more about The Arkbound Foundation and donate at arkfound.org

Follow Arkbound on Instagram @arkbounduk