On May 11th 2024 I visited the gorgeous Northfield Community Garden in Birmingham by invitation of my dear friend Emma Waterford. I went to tell some stories, but in the end we all made up a new story together, which against a backdrop of the road and various mysterious industrial sounds, I recorded on my iPhone. The people there just made up this story on the spot, listening to what the past person said and carrying on. I think it's brilliant. Proof that we are all storytellers 

The track "Rosemary's Garden"  is by Peter Crosby/Epidemic Sound 

This is my adaptation of an old Russian folktale "The Snow Maiden"

I promised to write something new for each of the festivals on the pagan calendar- expecting these to be short stories- but this is a bit stranger- somewhere between a poem and a dream. Hope you enjoy it and happy longest day all! 

I hope this story explains itself- but just to say- storytellers come in  to fill in the gaps of history. All  we had was one one grainy black and white photo of the Skylark Cafe and no information- which left us free to create and imagine... so we did. The Skylark Cafe has been recreated in 2022 as a utopian storytelling, creative members club- where everyone is free to be themselves and enjoy themselves. Hope you like the story 

Throughout Feb and March 2022, I ran a 6 week creative writing course called "The Scriptorium WINTER " with an amazing bunch of people. As winter turned to spring we explored, wrote about, and considered many themes together  : dawn and dusk, fools and tricksters, luck and superstition, the moon and the stars, maps and murmurations. Our last session was inspired by the literary Salons and Hellfire Clubs of the 16th and 17th centuries. Each member of The Scriptorium received a box of curious items and ephemera, a "wunderkammer-through-the-post", and we wrote inspired by the objects contained within. 

In this audio piece created and recorded on the night, we answered the question "why do we write?". 

We hope you enjoy it 

Many thanks to Debra McGee and Revelation Ashford who made The Scriptorium possible. 

If you would be interested in future creative writing courses, please get in touch by email [email protected]

More soon 

Love Bernadette

Hi all ! I committed to writing  a new short story for each of the festivals in the pagan calendar- to be fair this one is "upcycled" from an older story I performed at the Royal Albert Hall for For Books Sake a few years back. I'm trying to be braver about things not being perfect and just do it in the time I have available which often isn't much! It's a feminist fairytale for the 21st century- for the Spring Equinox. Hope you like it!

Love Bernadette 

ADULT CONTENT!

We recorded a number of tracks at the BBC with brilliant producer Jon Ward . These stories were all written in response to the themes of our short story telling salon "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" which ran monthly from 2008-2018 at Arts Admin (LONDON UK) and The Basement (BRIGHTON UK)

The show  was " a monthly immersive live lit cabaret in the style of an 18thcentury Salon, as if transported to a 1930s teashop/haunted toyshop. Focusing on a different theme every month, the show featured original short stories read aloud by professional performers, with magical visuals, games, chip butties, homemade cupcakes, cocktails in teapots, and surprise guests. “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” featured the work of over 700 new and established writers. The show was partnered by digital publishers Ether Books. It evolved with the invaluable contribution of the brilliant Paschale Straiton and Jules Craig. " 

This last story in the series was recored live at one of our events 

Enjoy! 

ADULT CONTENT!

We recorded a number of tracks at the BBC with brilliant producer Jon Ward . These stories were all written in response to the themes of our short story telling salon "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" which ran monthly from 2008-2018 at Arts Admin (LONDON UK) and The Basement (BRIGHTON UK)

The show  was " a monthly immersive live lit cabaret in the style of an 18thcentury Salon, as if transported to a 1930s teashop/haunted toyshop. Focusing on a different theme every month, the show featured original short stories read aloud by professional performers, with magical visuals, games, chip butties, homemade cupcakes, cocktails in teapots, and surprise guests. “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” featured the work of over 700 new and established writers. The show was partnered by digital publishers Ether Books. It evolved with the invaluable contribution of the brilliant Paschale Straiton and Jules Craig. " 

Enjoy! 

ADULT CONTENT!

We recorded a number of tracks at the BBC with brilliant producer Jon Ward . These stories were all written in response to the themes of our short story telling salon "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" which ran monthly from 2008-2018 at Arts Admin (LONDON UK) and The Basement (BRIGHTON UK)

The show  was " a monthly immersive live lit cabaret in the style of an 18thcentury Salon, as if transported to a 1930s teashop/haunted toyshop. Focusing on a different theme every month, the show featured original short stories read aloud by professional performers, with magical visuals, games, chip butties, homemade cupcakes, cocktails in teapots, and surprise guests. “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” featured the work of over 700 new and established writers. The show was partnered by digital publishers Ether Books. It evolved with the invaluable contribution of the brilliant Paschale Straiton and Jules Craig. " 

Enjoy! 

ADULT CONTENT!

We recorded a number of tracks at the BBC with brilliant producer Jon Ward . These stories were all written in response to the themes of our short story telling salon "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" which ran monthly from 2008-2018 at Arts Admin (LONDON UK) and The Basement (BRIGHTON UK)

The show  was " a monthly immersive live lit cabaret in the style of an 18thcentury Salon, as if transported to a 1930s teashop/haunted toyshop. Focusing on a different theme every month, the show featured original short stories read aloud by professional performers, with magical visuals, games, chip butties, homemade cupcakes, cocktails in teapots, and surprise guests. “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” featured the work of over 700 new and established writers. The show was partnered by digital publishers Ether Books. It evolved with the invaluable contribution of the brilliant Paschale Straiton and Jules Craig. " 

Enjoy!