Laughter and learning

The hour-long Demon Crew event showcased the work of seven students who spoke about their experiences with their publishing projects, their writing processes and the inspiration behind their work. Their writing resonated with many audience members and I was especially struck by Alicja Walendziak's poetry pamphlet Herbata, in which she writes about being Polish and living in the UK with a mocking tone. This was clear before her reading as she said, sarcastically, "Yes I am here to steal your jobs", raising a little laughter from the audience.
 

Alicja Walendziak

As a first year Creative Writing student at DMU, I thoroughly enjoyed the event and was able to hear and see the enthusiasm the students had for their publications and their aspirations for the future. It was great to see that these students had also gained an appreciation of the craft through their course;  Shannan Mitchener launched her poetry collection with the admission that “I didn’t like poetry until my second year.”
 
 
E. Towers