By connecting people, places and objects we find ways imaginative to understand the past in the present and to re-envisage our futures.
“Writing That Sings and exObjects are beautiful, layered projects. Both compelling and deeply affecting.” @irenosenokojie (short story writer and novelist, MBE and winner of the Caine Prize)
WRITING THAT SINGS 2025
Artificial Silk runs collaborations between England and India to nurture creativity.
Listen, read and take part in our live events in summer 2025 in person and online.
Sign up for the exObjects creative writing workshop at Foxlowe Arts Centre 11am on 31st May 2025. Bring an object that’s important to you and leave inspired by the memories shared. Joined from Uttar Pradesh by writer and editor Sauma Afreen.
Workshop Tickets here
Discover new short stories with humour and hope showcased at Leek Loves Books festival 10am – 10pm Saturday 7th June 2025 and published on the Artificial Silk website same day.
Event Tickets here
For rolling news follow us @ex.Objects on Instagram
A rural cottage with unexplained goings-on features in the story ‘Keepers Cottage’ by Belinda RushJansen (above). Belinda was awarded best female sculptor by the RSA. Her first short memoir story was published in hardback in exObjects: the art of holding on, letting go in December 2024.
‘Ottam Thullal’ is a translation by Smita Tharoor (below) of her father’s impressions of England in 1951. It is written in verse in the language of Malayalam. Originator of the global top 5% podcast Stories Seldom Told, in April 2025 Smita is recording an audio episode with Writing That Sings author A.T. Boyle. She is doing an interview at Leek Loves Books festival on 7th June. Come and say hello!
The tale of a Forties songbook, celebrating the joy of communal music by spoken word artist Maggie Pollard (below). Maggie is a member of Borderland Voices and the creator of Earth Song Poetry. Look out for her Leek and Wirksworth poetry and prose performances of ‘Music, Mum & Me’.
A seaside boarding house with long memories plays a starring role in the short audio play ‘Om, Pom, Pom’ featuring performances by its author A.T. Boyle and Maggie Pollard. At Foxlowe Arts Centre Saturday 7th June 7.00pm before the fantastic audio-visual storyteller Peter Chand.
Event Tickets here
A futuristic vision of how we hold on to human affection in the face of extreme climate change in the short story ‘Listen’ by A.T. Boyle (below).
‘Jester’ by A.T. Boyle celebrates the acting and singing life of a man who assumed the guises of witty Gilbert & Sullivan opera characters.
Six new Writing that Sings story worlds can be read on the Artificial Silk website from 7th June 2025.
The Writing That Sings logo concept by A.T. Boyle was realised by the talented graphic designer Rujuta Muley, based in Pune, India. She is also designing the illustated publication featuring the story commissions.
Full Writing That Sings programme information here
Festival evening event Tickets here
Programme of events at Leek Loves Books
Sit back and watch, listen and read if that’s what you like doing best.
Buy a digital copy of the exObjects book of stories featuring eleven authors based in England and India:
"A tiny icing sugar dove, a sound recording, a chair made of teak, a cup of clean water, a tea-dyed kurta, blue ties, a sapphire ring, a brass candlestick, love letters, laboratory benches, childhood friends, fireflies and lyrics are some of the objects shared by the eleven authors in this collection.
Each object carries memories of people and places loved and lost but not forgotten. Journey through these reinvented lives and you won’t look at objects the same way again."
Listen to a snippet of the short story about fireflies in the exObjects book.
On festival day 7th June 2025 you can write on our creative blackboard in the pop-up Library.
And you can leave inspirational doodles on our colourful bunting washing line. The best contributions will be celebrated at Foxlowe arts centre on Tuesday 10th June at the Roger Elkin poetry and prose evening.
exObjects creative writing workshop with A.T. Boyle and Sauma Afreen 31st May 2025, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Stockwell Street, Leek. Tickets here
Sauma Afreen is a writer and editor based in the north of India in Uttar Pradesh. She’s part of the Writing that Sings production team. Sauma wrote a story about climate change and fireflies for the exObjects book. You can hear a short version by clicking below:
We’ll be running an exObjects workshop with Staffordshire’s wonderful Borderlands Voices on 4th June 2025.
Keep a lookout for updates on how to join WRITING THAT SINGS in 2025
Instagram: @ex.objects
The first book of short exObjects short stories was published in India in December 2024.
Take part in exObjects online 2025
Write an exObject story this year and it has chance to be published in the Artificial Silk web magazine.
When we look closely and use our imaginations, we can find new and hopeful ways to look at the world. Choose an object that’s important to you and write about your connection with it.
Find out how to create your own exObject by clicking here.
Check out the exObjects stories already published in the web magazine here.
Email your exObjects writing and image to us: artificialsilkorg @ gmail.com
IN PRINT
Eleven international writers met through the first exObjects anthology of memoir short stories launched at Bangalore Literature Festival in December 2024.
Shashi Deshpande
Vikram Sampath
Shinie Antony
Gajra Kottary
Jaishree Misra
Devasiachan Benny
Sauma Afreen
Ramona Sen
Jerry Pinto and Belinda RushJansen reveal the secrets of places including Ooty and Kerala and Bengaluru and southern England. A.T. Boyle writes of her experiences in Preston and Blackpool in northern England.
Thirteen international writers met through another book.
The short stories in Hell Hath No Fury by Irenosen Okijie, Robin McLean, Shinie Antony, Anukrti Upadhyay, Catherine McNamara, A.T. Boyle and more explore revenge from many different perspectives. And with plenty of humour.
IN SOUND
Listen to Maggie Pollard performing her poem Old Cloths published in the exObjects web magazine.
Listen to our short story commission about the fireflies (jugnus) encountered in Uttar Pradesh by Sauma Afreen:
Listen to our HuG green arts festival soundscape that melds outdoor sounds recorded in the Western Ghats, southern India (UNESCO world heritage) and in Staffordshire, England:
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL SILK?
Artificial silk is a fibre made from wood pulp that is made into filaments that can be given different shades and woven. Other names are rayon and viscose.
Filaments made in Lancashire from wood shipped from Scandinavia were made into silk parachute canopies, sanitary pads, clothes for M&S and much much more.
For four decades this produce was sold all over the world, from 1939 when the Courtaulds Preston factory opened to its closure with the loss of 2,600 jobs.
In 1980 the machines were shipped from Preston to India extending their life. Eighty years after that factory opened, the artificial silks have not lost their strength, sheen or vibrancy.
“Finding new ways to understand the past
and reconfigure our present and possible futures.”
Wherever you live in the world, you can take part.
Join the conversation by messaging us on…
Instagram:
@exobjects
Email:
artificialsilkorg @ gmail.com