We know it’s good to talk. We also know that regular expressive writing does wonders for wellbeing. So we are continuing Write Club in 2025-26 Academic Year with weekly sessions every Monday or Wednesday (details below), Room 4.303 Jean McFarlane Building. You can join either one session only or attend all sessions, whatever works for you. This space is for you to enjoy.

To join any of the sessions (or all of them) please book your place using the links below. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Weds 15 October 2025, 12.30 – 2 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662833603069?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Weds 22 October 2025, 12.30 – 2 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662778237469?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Monday 10 November 2025, 11 – 12.30 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662784345739?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Monday 17 November 2025, 11 – 12.30 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662798879209?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Monday 24 November 2025, 11 – 12.30 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662799551219?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Weds 3 December 2025, 12.30 – 2 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662806040629?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Weds 10 December 2025, 12.30 – 2 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662809882119?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

Weds 17 December 2025, 12.30 – 2 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1662821426649?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.co.uk]

If you have any questions please email Tara directly tara_guha@hotmail.com

The Write Club Experience

Write Club, launched by the School of Health Sciences at the University of Manchester and led by writer and mental health practitioner Tara Guha, offers a unique blend of creative expression and peer support for staff and PhD students. Over eleven fortnightly sessions held from January to June 2024, Write Club became a safe space for participants to explore writing as a tool for wellbeing.

Write Club sessions were cantered around a simple but powerful concept: free writing. The idea was to encourage participants to write without inhibition, fostering a sense of freedom from the pressures of producing a polished end product. Each session explored different themes, such as the weather or food, and creative forms, including haikus and acrostic poems. The goal was to make writing accessible and enjoyable while providing a safe space for self-expression.

Facilitator Tara Guha carefully structured each session, ensuring that participants felt comfortable and supported. Ground rules were established to maintain confidentiality and clarify that, while the space was therapeutic, it was not a substitute for therapy. This created a trusted environment where attendees felt secure enough to share personal stories, such as those related to bereavement, illness, and divorce. The blend of peer support and creative writing led to a community where participants not only found solace but also deepened their self-awareness and resilience.

The Impact of Write Club

From the earliest sessions, it became clear that Write Club was much more than just a writing workshop. Participants often remarked that the sessions were a highlight of their fortnight, with some even attending despite having no other university commitments that day. The atmosphere was welcoming and collaborative, and people frequently stayed beyond the official end time, reluctant to leave the space they had come to cherish.

The impact on participants’ wellbeing was profound. Many reported feeling lighter, more uplifted, and emotionally attuned after each session. The creative outlet provided an opportunity to take a mental break from the demands of academic life, offering a much-needed escape from the constant pressure of deadlines and productivity. The practice of writing freely, without judgment, allowed individuals to tap into their emotions, explore their thoughts, and find clarity, ultimately boosting their mood and enhancing their overall wellbeing.

By joining Write Club, you’ll gain a creative outlet, a chance to connect with others, and an opportunity to prioritize your wellbeing in a supportive, non-judgmental space.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of a community where you can step away from the pressures of work, explore your creativity, and leave each session feeling refreshed and inspired. 

Testimonials from PhD students:

I’m really grateful to have found the Write Club as I’ve entered the final stage of my PhD. The sessions have left an indelible mark on me, providing an anchor in this crazy, increasingly fractious world. As someone who is potentially autistic, I can sometimes struggle with new or unfamiliar group situations, but Tara’s warmth and kindness made me feel welcome from the very first moment and put me at ease. Although I’ve probably only ever read one or two of my poems out loud, she created a safe and supportive space that was conducive to sharing our outputs from the session, along with the other attendees who were also lovely. Sharing your writing can feel quite personal, even vulnerable at times, but somehow, once you get over the initial (and natural) hesitance at least, it almost never feels too uncomfortable to do so. (If it does, there’s no pressure to share what you’ve written). 

 

I was pleasantly surprised at what I was able to produce in the short amount of time we had to work on different writing activities, given my usually slow processing and thinking! The regular structure of the sessions was great, starting with a wellbeing check-in and some free writing to loosen up the shackles of the mind. In the fast-paced lives we lead, it’s rare to take a collective moment to check in with one another and let other people know how we’re actually feeling. It also encouraged me to find the courage to be a bit more open with complete strangers, even if it did feel sort of strange to try to embrace my vulnerability! I really enjoyed reading and reflecting on different poems every week, each with their own style and theme. It was nice to be able to share different insights, and I think listening to other people’s writing and perspectives can be resilience-boosting as well.

 

Tara’s passion for helping us to use writing as a tool to reinforce our mental health, along with her attentiveness and words of encouragement, were a potent combination. She made clear that the sessions weren’t therapy but they certainly felt therapeutic! They quickly became a highlight of my week and a non-negotiable event in my calendar. I have come away with strategies that I can adopt and use in the future and have also been inspired to write more in my spare time outside the sessions. I had hit a mental block with my thesis corrections, feeling a heavy, triggering energy every time I attempted to tackle them. However, these sessions have disentangled my mind, diluted that dull energy and helped me to become unstuck with my PhD thesis writing. It’s like discovering a hidden portal, through which you can access another dimension of clarity. They have boosted my productivity and also had an immeasurable impact on my wellbeing, helping me navigate uncertainty by leveraging the use of creativity as an outlet. The Write Club is like lounging in your PJs by the fireplace, with a cat on your lap, a book in one hand and a mug of hot chocolate in the other while a blizzard is raging outside the window. Soup for the soul.

As a first year PhD Mental Health student, Write Club is incredibly useful for me. I went into Write Club with little expectations, as I had never done creative writing before but I wanted to give it a go and wanted a break from academic writing. I have been hooked from the first session. It has given me an opportunity to engage with my feelings and emotions, in ways I never have before. Write Club has become something that I look forward to every week and I leave the sessions feeling lighter mentally.

I have struggled to adjust to how lonely, isolating, and stressful PhD life can be, and the space provided by Tara and Write Club lets me check in with my feelings and create pieces of personal writing, in an environment where others are doing the same. I have learnt a lot about myself and discovered I can be creative – I didn’t think I could! This year, I have felt overwhelmed by academic writing, and it became a chore. Learning to do activities like journaling and free writing has helped me to free up my thoughts before academic writing. I have also used such activities to write about my topic, then refine and reshape, rather than trying to write perfectly from the start. I feel more in touch with my creative side, a side I didn’t know I had, and I believe my PhD writing is benefiting from this. I used to open Word and spend half an hour trying to writing a first polished sentence… now I use free-writing to write my thoughts down about the topic and everything I want to include, then I can perfect it afterwards.

Tara provides an open and supportive environment, with encouragement and feedback and I would recommend the sessions to any PhD student. She picks new activities and topics each session, keeping them interesting and engaging. There are no expectations in the group, which is a massive contrast to PhD life, which is really nice and refreshing. Plus, there are biscuits!

For me, the sessions are an hour and a half just for me, with no expectations! I know I will have a good day when Write Club is on. I have even purchased a journalling book for the days that the sessions are not on, and this is really improving my mental health, and I feel much more in tune with my feelings. If I find myself getting overwhelmed, I try and do something I’ve learnt from the sessions.

I’m grateful for the experiences so far and I am so happy that I tried it! I hope to have Write Club for my whole PhD experience. 

WRITE CLUB ASSESSMENT REPORT

Have you enjoyed Write Club? (100% said yes)

Yes, it has been amazing!

The sessions are very mentally stimulating.

The space feels safe, which is especially important when sharing vulnerability through writing.

It has created a community that at times is lacking in our division and faculty for staff and students.

It’s helped me get back in touch with my creative side.

I loved it. It’s become a huge part of my life.

Have you learned something, either about writing or yourself? (100% said yes).

100 times yes! Even in the short time I’ve attended the club, Tara has refreshed my editing skills, how to write impactfully, poem styles…I leave the session not only feeling lighter but smarter from the teachings.

I don’t even share with my own family how I really feel but I’ve learned to open up more in these sessions, to the extent that I wonder if I sometimes overshare!

I learned that I have a voice that is well worth listening to.

I learned about many types of creative writing and also how to write clearly by avoiding fluff.

I learned that writing accesses a different part of me and my voice that is both motivating and good for my wellbeing.

Did the sessions have a positive impact on your mood or wellbeing? (100% said yes)

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Write Club has created a community of like-minded but diverse people who share writing skills and support.

The sessions help me de-stress from my busy routine.

It gives me a boost for my week.

Sometimes in life you come across people and experiences that make you grateful to still be alive in this world, and Write Club is one of those. The impact it has had on my wellbeing cannot be overstated.

Have you learned any techniques, skills or strategies that could be useful to your role at the university? (100% said yes)

Yes, the free writing technique has really helped my studies and wellbeing.

I’ve been able to incorporate free writing into my research journal.

Writing techniques and editing help me during my research.

I use free writing in sessions to help students to reflect.

How to say more with less.

The free writing technique is the perfect antidote to perfectionism.

Were the groups well-facilitated? (100% said yes)

Tara is everything you would want in a facilitator: compassionate, attentive and kind. She hasn’t just facilitated a club, she has created a community and safe space where we all feel comfortable enough to be our authentic selves.

Tara is a wonderful facilitator who leads with passion, warmth and of course exceptional writing talent.

Tara is inclusive, compassionate and supportive. Always provides useful and encouraging feedback that grows confidence in our writing ability. Well structured and varied sessions. Good ground rules and check-ins to ensure safety.

Every person is given time to talk and express their thoughts. I love the confidentiality aspect.

Would you attend Write Club again? (100% said yes)

Would you recommend Write Club to colleagues: (100% said yes)

Any final comments/suggestions for improvement

Suggestions for improved marketing and other time slots.

To have online sessions as an option.

Provide more clarity about the purpose of the initial check-in.

If I was a plant, Write Club would be my sunlight and water.

Feedback gathered during sessions

You lead it with compassion and structure, but it is fun! You have created a community in a building that lacks it at times. A place to be, think and write. Isn’t that what a university is meant to be? 😊

It reminds me of days in my room, purple, when I found my journal and turned my heart to paper.

I feel lucky to have crossed paths with Write Club.

Just enjoy this journey.

The first rule of Write Club is anything you can offer is good; creativity works.

So warm, a safe feeling.

Writing about Write Club

Pens on paper

We don’t just write

We grow. (DH)

An Ode to Write Club (OM)

An email arrived in my inbox.

‘Come along to Write Club‘, it said. 

‘Why not give it a try?‘, I thought,

even though I’d rather stay in bed.

I had no idea what to expect,

going along out of curiosity.

But the sessions were so fun

they passed by at such velocity.

Pitched as writing for wellbeing and

targeted at postgrads and staff,

with peer support added in too,

I’m lucky to have crossed its path.

You’d be hard pressed to find

a more supportive atmosphere. 

Even Mother Teresa’s no match for

the one we’ve cultivated here.

It should come as no surprise that

it became a highlight of my day.

So delightful were the sessions

I thought ‘I’ve found somewhere to stay’.

With your empathy and kindness,

I felt emotionally safe.

With your words of encouragement,

you helped me to keep the faith.

Write Club, oh how you proved me wrong!

I thought I had immunity

But despite my independence, / But it turns out I’m not so strong;

I still need community.

We wrote freely, exploring our thoughts,

and tapping into our feelings.

Perhaps we never realised

that writing could be so healing.

Anticipation was in the air,

as we read many a poem together:

kitchen sinks, phones, landscapes,

celebrations and the weather.

Tara asked for our thoughts, 

as we tried to figure them out,

desperately racking our brains. 

‘What on earth were they on about?!’

Bonding over academic struggles,

and united by a love of writing,

slowly, we uncovered hidden meanings.

Who knew poetry could be so exciting?

The space was light and empowering,

and the room filled with so much joy.

Smiles and camaraderie until

it was time to read our work, ‘Oh boy!’

We all avoided eye contact,

waiting for one another to speak,

before we plucked up the courage

to give each other a sneak peek.

But when hearts were opened

and words were spoken,

the resistance was broken,

our resilience awoken.

Beautiful connections formed

as our life journeys converged,

and powerful stories shared,

as inspiration emerged,

helping us to connect

to our common humanity, 

buffering us against a world 

that’s a threat to our sanity.

Contrary to our inhibitions,

we all had a creative spark.

It’s hard to believe we were scared 

to illuminate the dark.

The world is full of hyperbole and

things are easy to embellish.

But I truly mean it when I say that

Write Club is something I’ll always cherish.

While I knew this day would come

and now it’s time for us to part,

Write Club has been my refuge

and holds a special place in my heart.

Testimonials

Write Club means more to me than I would like to admit. It has been one of the few lights at the end of a very dark tunnel (aka my PhD). I’ve really benefited from the blend of peer support and creative writing, and it has had a massive impact on my wellbeing and mental health. It is no exaggeration to say that I couldn’t have got through my thesis corrections without Write Club. If it finished, the devastation that would be unleashed on my personally would be on par with the moment I realised that Father Christmas did not exist.

OM, completed PhD in Psychology

Write Club is a really special place for me and is my favourite part of my working week. I have been coming to Write Club for over a year now and it has really supported my throughout my PhD, especially when I felt really lonely and stressed at the beginning. Write Club feels like self-care and I make sure I can attend as much as possible. I am even sad when my annual leave or Bank Holidays fall on Write Club! I find my PhD very isolating and lonely, I have also had some difficult personal experiences recently. Write Club has been essential to getting me through it.

I would be extremely sad and disappointed if Write Club finished. I would try to continue creative writing but it would not be the same. I have learnt so much from Tara and I would struggle without the guidance and structure. Additionally, the peer support aspect of Write Club is just as important. I have made friends, and sharing my writing with others gives me confidence and motivation.

AP, second year PhD student

Write Club has a huge impact on my wellbeing. It provides a weekly focus for self-development (I didn’t think I could write!!). It has improved my reflective and academic skills. It has created a sense of community in an organisation where hybrid working, whilst great flexibility-wise, means the sense of team and community is not always present. It has helped me make decisions about my career, provided teaching ideas and feels like ‘recognition’ for hard work as a lecturer, as it gives me space and time to self-develop and reflect.

If Write Club ended, there would be a loss of community and a reduction in working week wellbeing, a loss of self-development, loss of opportunity to use another skill and side of brain, and loss of opportunity to develop creative writing skills.

LM, Lecturer in SHS

Write Club for me is a place where I can come away from academic spaces/writing and write more freely. There are no expectations on how to write or the standard of writing. The group is really supportive and guides me through more creative ways. Write Club is very important in my life – I have found a passion to write. Even as someone with dyslexia, being more confident in not only writing but creative writing has improved my confidence. To the point of me now writing my own poems.

If Write Club finished I would miss the connections made with the regular group members. The way we start every session with a check-in and then free writing. As a PhD can often be very isolating, so this group is so needed.

SA, second year PhD in Psychology and Mental Health

Write Club has provided a wonderful peer group and a weekly anchor, as a researcher with no permanent base! I have learned so much about poetry and really enjoy our weekly check-ins – especially as life and work are so busy there is precious little time to reflect. As a fixed term contract researcher, moving from place to place around the uni, I really look forward to seeing Tara and the PGRs/ECRs there every week to feel part of a community. I would feel more isolated on campus without this and I would rarely get the chance to process my thoughts and emotions. I have found Write Club a real highlight of coming to campus this year and cannot believe I’ve actually written poetry I’m proud of and keen to share!

EB, Autism@Manchester, Interdisciplinary Research, SHS/FBMH

Write Club is very important to me! It gave me a sense of belonging when I was alone specially when I first came to Manchester as a PhD student. I made new friends that I will always cherish them. I met awesome people with an amazing and inspiring writing that I learn from them every Monday. If Write Club finished I am afraid it would be a negative impact because the Write Club was my outlet to break from lab work and heavy routines. But in the same time the write club gave me tools to write and be inspired where ever I will be. On the other hand, the community sense and be inspired by others would decline or even diminish. I wish the Write Club will always continue for the whole year. Just an idea, perhaps new students could be encouraged to attend at least one session as part of their coursework because they will learn a lot from it.

Here are two poems I wrote about what Write Club means to me:

A friendly invitation

To a mysterious place

Should I explore this nomad land

Should I stay in my place

On the threshold, feeling anxious

I open the door

It is a magical Tardis!

*

Never thought I would be in a Write Club

A strange and unfamiliar setting

Yet, they allow me to visit them shortly

What a magical place

They ask each other about their well-being

in the kindest manner

Listening and engaging

every tiny event and matter

What a delight to get glimpse of their open book

Read a sentence of their own life stories

As they open their door with a welcome manner

Drink tea and cookies scatter

Yet, time runs fast

Oh, it is the end of the visiting hours

Saying goodbye as the door is closed now

I can’t wait to cross paths again with a happy manner. – FA, first year PhD student

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