photo Simon Beckmann
‘At Joya: AiR, I felt free to wander, physically and artistically. There is a natural emphasis on respect for and reciprocity with one’s environment which, for me, opened up a different way of thinking about my creative process.
Everything about the surroundings at Joya lends itself to reflection: the architecture, the landscape, the company of other artists. It is an environment where beauty and inspiration are easily found. I was able to reflect on my writing in a way that I previously hadn’t been able to, I reoriented myself and my work. Initially I worked on a long-form fiction project, but soon I found myself experimenting with the work in other genres and mediums.
Conversations with artists from a such wide range of disciplines broadened my understanding of my own writing. These past two weeks were a turning point for me as a writer, as an artist. Simon and Donna were wonderful hosts; they have created such a breathtaking and necessary space. I arrived at Joya: AiR with an intention, and left the residency with a renewed insight into my practice’.
I am a writer and filmmaker based in Wales and London. I studied MA Black British Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. My writing has been published in The Guardian, Prototype and The Good Journal, among others. My short film 'Last Days of the Girl's Kingdom', produced in collaboration with DAZED and the ICA, was aired on Channel 4's Random Acts. In 2019, I won the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize with my story 'Deep Heart'. My essay 'Everything I Will Give You', exploring representations of intimate partner violence in Welsh and Kenyan mythology, appeared in 'Just So You Know', an anthology of Welsh writers published by Parthian Press. I am represented by Abi Fellows at The Good Literary Agency.
photo by Kandace Walker (wild swimming in November)