Becky is a Leeds-based writer, performer, single mum and creative writing facilitator who writes in a variety of forms. She works regularly for various organisations including Workers Educational Association and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, is one of the facilitators for the Ilkley Literature Festival Young Writers Group and takes private pupils. Becky has performed her work and traditional tales and ballads both solo and with other artists live on radio and at venues such as Seven Arts, Stage @ Leeds, Stockton Riverside Festival and Poems, Prose and Pints. She was shortlisted for the 2009 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Award and the 2009-10 Fish Short Story Prize, and in 2006, received a commission to write and perform an interactive children’s story at The Rotunda Museum in Scarborough.
Becky is currently busy applying for funding for a one woman show ‘Yolk’, her first full length play, which she is hoping to tour next spring, seeking an agent for her first novel 'Yellow Brick Roads', and working hard on her second – when the cry of a new poem isn’t demanding her attention! If contemporary poetry is your thing, have a look at the fabulous website Peony Moon. Two of Becky’s poems ‘Wolves’ and ‘My Paisley Quilt’ are available there. Watch out for her poem ‘The Girl You Took Home More Than Once’, which is due to be published by Stairwell Books in an anthology on railways soon.
Find out more about what Becky is up to at her author page on Facebook
and her Myspace page/s here and here
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY
About her writing :
‘Whenever I've seen (or heard) a poem by Becky I've always been struck by her facility to make the rhythm work for her: that the poem is a thing made out of sound as well as sense; that the emotional flow of the poem is somehow driven by the rhythmical units of each line and stanza. So we're constantly aware of the natural rhythms of the speaking voice and yet in no doubt that what we're hearing is poetry’.
Ian Parks - Poet
‘My Paisley Quilt’ was a very uncomfortable piece but expertly written. The conflicting emotions of horror and aesthetic beauty was amazing and odd. It reminded me of A Joycean epiphany.’
Brendan McPartlan – Wicked Words
‘Energetic and lively’, ‘good characterisation’, ‘unique perspective’, accomplished and compelling’ ...‘but not quite what we’re looking for’.
Rejection letters
‘She finds the personality of her characters, whether they are a young boy embarrassed by his hippie mother, a woman who falls in love with her house or a carpark. I think Becky's real strength lies in the magic realism element of her storytelling. In one of my favourite stories Becky takes the viewpoint of a nightclub's carpark, expressing its joy of the colour brought by the weekend's ravers. I would highly recommend Becky and look forward to seeing her one woman play develop in the future.’
Steve Toase – Writer and Archaeologist
About her performances :
‘Becky gave some of her earliest performances of her flash fiction and poetry for us at the Writers Cafe in Stockton on Tees some years ago. Even then she held the audience spellbound and the after-show response was pretty good. More recently I saw Becky perform in Lincoln and was highly impressed with how much she has developed and how skilfully and naturally she delineated her fiction and poetry in such an entertaining and meaningful way. She knows how to read an audience and develop a rapport, leaving them wanting more. She comes highly recommended.’
Trev Teasdel - Organiser of The Writers Cafe
‘Becky has an unusual stage presence. It made me feel as if I was alone with her in a room while surrounded by many people. This odd intense intimacy in a public place leant her words a surreal quality; like being sung to in a dream.’
Barney George – Theatre Designer and Craftsman
‘We had Becky as our featured artist in November 2009 and she attracted and entertained the largest audience up to that date so we invited her back in May 2010 which was again a highly successful evening. It is a pleasure to hear Becky, her writing varies from intensely personal to very funny.’
Nicola Everill - Poems, Prose & Pints Organiser
‘Superb storytelling from Becky. There was something very calm and sincere about the way she performed and I could see that the audience were completely drawn in by her.’
Karen Harvey - Total Image Review
About her workshops :
‘The standard of your teaching is exceptional and your encouragement of the group really showed in the final performance in the theatre. Thanks for all your professionalism and hard work and I hope we will work together again soon.’
Nicky Taylor - Heydays
‘I just wanted to congratulate you on yesterday's performance; the whole event went so smoothly and what a good sized audience! I was delighted when I saw them bringing extra chairs in at the back, and the whole audience seemed so enthusiatic, one or two stopped me on the way out to say how much they had enjoyed it’
Participant
‘Thank you again for a great term of creative thinking and writing. I look forward to your next course’
Participant
‘Writing about my problems made me realise I was lonely and face up to it’
Participant
‘I never thought I could do it but this course and your support has given me the confidence to go on to study English GCSE at college’
Participant
‘You let people be who they are’
Staff member
And about Becky :
‘A female Alan Bennett’
Graham Chalmers - Harrogate Advertiser
‘Myriad shades of tone and hue’
A friend
‘Real balls’
Several audience members
‘Woman of integrity’
A fan
‘Bloody awkward’
Becky’s mum
If you are interested in working with Becky please call her on: 07792266816
email her at write@beckycherriman.com