Jaz, a mature BA (Hons) Creative Writing student at Leeds Beckett talks about her recent experience working with the Leeds Library as part of her 'Writing Industry' module. The project involved her writing a creative response to their Firewatchers archive to feature in their exhibition.

Course: BA (Hons) Creative Writing

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

I'm a mature student. I began writing just before the pandemic and enjoyed it. I applied for the Creative Writing course to further grow my writing skills and perhaps find ways into a later life career based on my degree.

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

The course has opened up a world of literature that I'd never read or heard of previously. Discovering this has been amazing. My university experience has helped me to reconnect to the true me, which gets a little lost as you get older. It's been life changing.

How did you get this opportunity to work with the Leeds Library?

This opportunity came through one of the modules on my course, 'Writing Industry'. There were several industry partners available for us to work with. The Leeds Library appealed to me most due to the prospect of having access to an archive.

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

I explored the Firewatcher archive, an extensive set of documents from WW2 curated by the then librarian, Frank Beckwith. The aim was to research the archive and write a creative response to it. It was a lengthy task as the papers weren't in any kind of order. There were also interesting leads that didn't go anywhere, mysteries.

Everyone at the library was extremely helpful. It was exciting being in the building and going out onto the roof where the firewatchers would have been stationed in case of air raids.

Reading the application letters and sick notes was very interesting. Searching external records such as Ancestry UK was also very exciting, and getting a glimpse into the lives of the people of Leeds at that time was fascinating. They had to be resilient.

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

I saw a receipt from a dressmaker, which led me to think about weddings at that time. I discovered that wedding cakes often had fake cardboard covers to make them look big and beautifully iced - there was a small fruit cake hidden beneath.

My story formed into one of a man determined to make a proper wedding cake for his girlfriend. All manner of mishap had to be overcome though. I wanted it to be a cheesy love story, and I think I achieved that. The story has been available to read online and will be in print in the Leeds Library magazine this month.

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

I've learnt a lot about research methods and also about adapting real life information into fictional stories. Thorough note taking was essential. Respect for the physical condition of the source material was also very important. I learnt a lot about ordinary people living in a war situation.

What are your plans after you graduate?

I hope to find employment which enables me to do research as that's been one of my favourite aspects of the course. I plan to keep writing too and am immersing myself in the writing scene by attending and participating in literary events.

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

Do it - it's a varied and interesting curriculum. A wide range of skills are available to learn and the tutors are keen to help you. It's not just a big creative writing session, there are many careers covered that need good writers, researchers, and exciting thinkers.

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