The new year has brought a remarkable wave of achievements from alumni and current students across our Creative Writing programmes at Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). From debut books and international media appearances to award‑winning fiction, poetry acceptances, and film festival selections, our community continues to shape the literary and creative landscape in bold and inspiring ways.
This month, we celebrate the breadth of talent emerging from our Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, and Writing for Performance pathways.
Creative non-fiction: recovering histories and reframing narratives
A landmark biography from Joy McAlpine-Black
We are delighted to celebrate the publication of Ann Shaw: Mother of Methodism in South Africa (1788–1854) by Joy McAlpine-Black, launched recently at Lucy Cavendish College. Published by Lutterworth Press, Joy’s book is the first biography written by an alumna of the MSt in Creative Writing, a milestone for the programme.
Drawing on years of research and a personal family connection, Joy uncovers the erased story of Ann Shaw, tracing her journey from the English fens to the African Cape. The biography reveals Ann’s role as a catalyst for education in South Africa while navigating the challenges of women’s health, childbirth, and patriarchy in the early nineteenth century.
Joy has also studied on the Certificate and Diploma in Non-Fiction and the Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing, making this publication a testament to her long-standing engagement with PACE’s creative writing community.
Jill Damatac on memoir, identity, and visibility
Alumna Jill Damatac appeared on KTVU2 San Francisco to discuss her memoir Dirty Kitchen and other books exploring the lived experience of being undocumented. Jill began her memoir during the MSt in Creative Writing, and her recent In Conversation with Midge Gillies offers a powerful insight into the process of writing personal, politically resonant work.
Camilla Balshaw wins East Anglian Book Award
Continuing this rich vein of memoir that interrogates identity and belonging, Camilla Balshaw’s Named: A Story of Names and Reclaiming Who We Are (Bedford Square Publishers) has won the Biography & Memoir category of the East Anglian Book Awards 2025. Camilla completed part of the book while studying on PACE’s Creative Writing Diploma: Advanced Non‑Fiction.
Her memoir traces her estrangement from her Nigerian father, her relationship with her Jamaican mother, and her journey toward self‑understanding. Woven through the chapters is a deeply intimate exploration of how names shape us, how histories are carried, and how identity is reclaimed. The result is a compelling, tender investigation of what makes us who we are.
Camilla discusses her writing and the evolution of the book in her In Conversation with Dr Yvonne Battle‑Felton, available to watch here.
Food, memory, and meaning: Nicole Janz in Hinterland
Nicole Janz’s essay Chocolate on our Mind appears in Issue 17 of Hinterland. A Q&A with Nicole, an alumna of the MSt, the Certificate in Fiction and Writing for Performance, and the Diploma in Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction and Writing for Performance, accompanies the piece. Hinterland is edited by PACE tutor Dr Andrew Kenrick, making this a wonderful example of the creative and editorial collaborations that flourish within our community.
Fiction: from flash worlds to formidable debuts
Arthur H. Manners publishes in Nature
First-year MSt student Arthur H. Manners has published his humorous flash fiction piece “A Troubleshooting Guide to Your Flat-Pack Planet” in Nature (6 January 2026). His second story, the cli-fi piece “Boomtown Atoll”, will be reprinted in Issues in Earth Science in May and is expected to be used in high school classrooms to spark discussions about climate change. The story is also available to read in Phano.
Angela Sun’s neon-lit storytelling in Extra Teeth
Angela Sun’s short story “Dreaming of Leon Lai” appears in Issue Ten of Extra Teeth. The magazine describes the piece as one in which “the rain-blurred neon cityscape of Shanghai at once cocoons, bares and transforms its protagonists.” Angela is currently developing a hybrid sci-fi-inspired poetry collection for her MSt dissertation.
A first publication milestone for Brian Alkire
Current MSt student Brian Alkire will see his short story “Lacan at the Limmat” published in the Fall edition of the Chicago Quarterly Review. This marks Brian’s first fiction publication, an exciting moment in any writer’s journey.
A formidable debut from Viola van der Sandt
Alumna Viola van der Sandt, who studied on the Diploma in Creative Writing: Advanced Non-Fiction, has published her first novel The Dinner Party with Headline. The Guardian has praised the book as a “formidable debut which offers plenty to savour,” signalling a strong start to Viola’s fiction career.
Poetry: a momentous acceptance
Brian Alkire in The Threepenny Review
In addition to his fiction success, Brian Alkire’s poem “Low, Momentous Days” has been accepted by The Threepenny Review and will appear in an upcoming issue. His achievements across genres highlight the versatility and ambition of our current MSt cohort.
Writing for performance: bold voices on screen
Festival recognition for Fleas by Maria-Ella-May Hill
Second-year MSt in Writing for Performance student Maria-Ella-May Hill has seen her short film Fleas selected for the Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art Festival’s Winter Screening 2025. Written, directed, and co-produced by Maria, the film explores working-class identity and harmful class stereotypes through surrealist, expressionist, and Brechtian techniques.
Created on a very limited budget with a small but dedicated cast and crew, Fleas exemplifies the ingenuity and creative courage that define our Writing for Performance community.
Celebrating a thriving creative community
These achievements reflect the extraordinary range of voices, genres, and creative ambitions nurtured across PACE’s Creative Writing programmes. From debut authors to first-time filmmakers, from poetry acceptances to international media appearances, our alumni and students continue to shape conversations, challenge narratives, and bring new stories into the world.
We look forward to celebrating many more successes in the months ahead.