Joanne is a creative writing student at Leeds Beckett. As part of her Writing Industry module, she was paired with the Leeds Library, one of the most historic subscription libraries in the country. Joanne worked on a project with the Leeds Library to respond creatively to their archive of material gathered during World War 2. Here, she talks about the experience and what she most enjoys her course.

Course: BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Tell us a bit about yourself and what drew you to your course at Leeds Beckett?

As a very mature student, I was thrilled to find a creative writing course that lasted more than six weeks. I somewhat inadvertently applied for this course via Facebook Messenger, but was extremely excited when I saw what the course covered.

What has been your favourite thing about your time studying at Leeds Beckett?

My favourite thing about studying at Leeds Beckett so far has been the wide variety of forms of creative writing that I've been exposed to and had a go at. I've only ever written poetry before.

What support and opportunities have you been given during your time at Leeds Beckett and for life after university?

Since enrolling, I've received formal diagnoses of dyslexia and ADHD. I've been supported by the Wellbeing Team, the Disability Team, and my tutors have been incredible, listening and learning how my brain works.

Can you tell us about your experience working with Leeds Library? What did you do and what did you enjoy most?

For my module 'Writing Industry', I was paired with The Leeds Library. This isn't to be confused with Leeds Central Library. This library is the oldest example of a subscription library in the country. Large areas of it are Grade 2 listed and are really stunning. The project was to look at a largely unseen archive of material gathered during World War 2 and then to respond to it creatively.

The archive reflected the fact that their building was designated tall enough to house fire watchers, who looked out when the air raid sirens sounded and directed and helped to put out fires. This was such a fascinating collection of materials, and I loved looking through it for inspiration.

Can you tell us more about your contributed creative writing piece and the inspiration behind it?

It was one small piece of paper that sewed the seed of inspiration for my piece of writing. During the war, the fire watchers were allotted an extra ration of tea leaves. I calculated that the quantity they were given amounted to approximately 28 cups of tea over 56 days - this wasn't even one extra cup a day. The phrase 'The Tea Leaf Thief' came to me fairly quickly, and the poem developed from there.

How has this experience benefited you? What will you take away from it?

At first, I found the task really overwhelming due to the sheer quantity of material. With the end date fixed, it helped me to focus my energy and attention. I very much enjoyed working for someone else, and the poem had been well received, so I feel as though the client was happy too.

What are your plans after you graduate?

My first plan after graduation is to hopefully complete a master's. Ultimately, I'd love to compile a book of poems, but also write for others too.

What advice would you give someone thinking about studying this course?

This isn't like school - your mind will be expanded and exposed to ways of writing that you didn't know you liked or needed.

Find out more about the Fire Watchers project at the Leeds Library and read Joanne's piece.