'We must celebrate the craft of writing'

LAST summer, Stoke-on-Trent was awarded World Craft City status in recognition of its rich heritage and innovative spirit within the ceramic industry.

- Dr Lisa Blower - lecturer in creative writing at Keele University

Since then, I've been thinking a lot about the word 'craft, how it applies to all creative industries including my line of work as a writer, when it's our job to 'make texts' and 'craft stories' think plotting novels, experimenting with form, working across mediums that merge historical practices with new technologies.

Us writers are also in the business of developing our craft within our communities and in education, and often mindful of our literary roots.

As the city's most prolific crime writer, Mel Sherratt, says, "I don’t know where I'd be without this city running through my blood. It’s certainly made me the writer I am."

As we reach the 'arf way point in the 100 Books, a project to showcase the city's history and celebrate Stoke-on-Trent's 100-year anniversary, one of the highlights has been knowing just how many writers are working and publishing in the city now; how many have, since the turn of the 21st century, been crafting texts through traditional routes or by exploring - thanks to the internet - non-traditional platforms that have enabled more writers to make literature.