We have been going eight years now and are beginning to celebrate more public successes by Squad writers. Many of our writers are working away on novels, scripts and collections, some have begun to build relationships with editors, producers and agents.  But here are some of our more public successes.

We have just collaborated with Mslexia magazine on a supplement in the current issue featuring Laura Attridge, Jess Drew, Katherine Horrex, Charlotte Wetton, Yuan Yang and Ruth Yates.  The poems included were workshopped in a weekend led by Frances Leviston.

Jessica Brown and Mwewa Sumbwanyambe are on the current Young Writers Programme at the Royal Court.  Jessica is currently a Broadcast Assistant in BBC Radio Drama.

Mwewa and his colleague in the current Squad, Carrie Holroyd, who have both had short plays staged at Contact Theatre Manchester and West Yorkshire Playhouse respectively.  Mwewa’s The Parrot House had a reading at the Liverpool Everyman you can read an interview about here.  West Yorkshire Playhouse have just given him a grant to research and draft his next one.

Nick Payne was awarded the 2009 George Devine Award of £10,000 for his play If There Is I haven’t Found it Yet which premiered at The Bush.  Nick is represented by Curtis Brown.

Two of our writers have had success in last year’s Ilkley Literature Festival Cadaverine competitions for young writers, Leo Topp won second prize in the short story competition and Yuan Yang was shortlisted in both the story and poetry competitions.

Wes Brown is the energy behind the first Cadaverine Anthology with brilliant writing by writers under 25 from across the UK.  The Cadaverine, features Squad writers Amy Christmas, Charlotte Wetton, Gavin Husband, Katie Smith, Ellen Osborne, Katherine Horrex, Ruth Yates, Laura Attridge, Leo Topp, Carrie Holroyd, Jess Drew and Gavin Hudson.  Wes himself has had a novel accepted for publication by Dog Horn and is beginning a freelance career with the Poetry Business and NALD.  Wes and Amy Cresswell had short stories in route's Compendium anthology.

Ruth Yates is featured in the 10th Anniversary anthology of Foyles Young Poets.   You see part of Gavin Hudson’s recent reading at the Whitworth Art Gallery here or visit his website.

Gavin Husband had part of his Forager's Cookbook in Bradford Square, while Ellen Osborne and Sumeia Ali have had stories in Light Transports, a project distributing free books on mainline stations in Yorkshire, and Ellen's short story He Said is a competition winner at normblog along side fellow Squad Members Laura Attridge and her story Angela, and Unwell by Katherine Horrex, Katherine also has a poem in Zygote in My Coffee . Amy Christmas had her story My Favourite Word is Clarity published in Aesthetica 15, and has also just had a story accepted for the anthology Avante Garde for the New Millenium from the US based Raw Dog Screaming Press.

Penny Broadhurst recently reached the last twenty of the BBC’s Next Big Things competition following the release of her EP Allons-Y!, catch up with her and her band The Maffickers at www.pennybroadhurst.com

Katherine Horrex is following in Penny’s musical footsteps, and you can listen to her band Stickpin here on MySpace. 

Chris Bush's TONY! The Blair Musical won awards at the Edinburgh Fringe and transferred to The Pleasance Islington, he followed that up with a tour of Tony of Arabia, go to the White Rose Theatre Company for his latest news.

Joe Shrewsbury was one of the key members of our first Squad. We're still in touch, but don't see him as much as we like now he's a rock star, read the blog, listen to the music and buy the t-shirt at www.65daysofstatic.com.

Tom Donnelly is currently in Advocacy and Communications at Saferworld, an international NGO working with government, parliamentarians, the EU and UN, civil society and the international media to promote Saferworld's advocacy aimed at preventing armed violence. He uses skills learnt with the Squad when writing issue briefings, press releases, web content, feature articles and contributions to Saferworld's publications. Read his recent contribution to The Guardian.

“I wouldn’t have an album or a career without the squad, because I needed the confidence, contacts and skills (and cash) as well as the talent and determination.”

Penny Broadhurst, Squad 1

“I wouldn’t have an album or a career without the squad, because I needed the confidence, contacts and skills (and cash) as well as the talent and determination.”

Penny Broadhurst, Squad 1