A Sheffield author has praised the city’s creative spirit during an event as part of the Off The Shelf festival.
Susan Elliot Wright, whose two novels The Things We Never Said and The Secrets We Left Behind are both set partly in Sheffield, was speaking at an event hosted by St Aidan’s Church, in Manor on Saturday 10 October.
She said the city is a great place to be a writer, due to the amount of creative events taking place throughout the city.
Nicola Smith, the event organiser, said this was the fourth year the church had hosted the festival and that she looked forward to the event every year.
She said: “I love this festival. I love reading.
“Hosting such a big-scale festival is really good for the church and the community.
“We get lots of people returning year on year, which raises the profile of the area as well as other church projects.”
Susan relocated to Sheffield from London after studying for a Masters in Writing at Sheffield Hallam University.
She said: “I just fell in love with Sheffield. It’s such a warm and friendly city, people actually seek eye contact with you rather than avoid it.
“I love the fact that I can jump in a car, drive for eight minutes and be on the Moors.”
She said it was really important to be involved in the festival, as it was a good way of encouraging people to read more.
She said: “We’re always trying to get children reading but if their parents and their grandparents fall in love with books too, that will help as well.
Giving some advice to budding writers, she said “Don’t give up. It’s a hard slog, but just keep at it.
“I really feel privileged to have had the opportunity to do that.”
East Sheffield Insider 