8th February 2021
Fighting Words Northern Ireland, the creative writing network for children and young people has announced the appointment of Hilary Copeland as Director.
Ms Copeland will take up the role in March 2021 and is currently Deputy Director at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin, having joined the team as Acting Director in July 2019. She has worked in literature and arts management since 2008, delivering expertise across business management, strategic planning, creative programming and event delivery for festivals, arts and theatre companies and nonprofits in Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin.
Commenting on her appointment she said:
“I am thrilled to be appointed as the first Director of Fighting Words Northern Ireland, and glad to return to the arts sector in NI alongside many valued colleagues at this challenging time. I am very much looking forward to working with the FWNI board and team, who have been dedicated to delivering online workshops and amazing digital projects for writers of all ages throughout the pandemic.
Storytelling will be a big part of how we, as a society, get through this pandemic, and how we make sense of it after. My vision for the next few years is to see Fighting Words Northern Ireland activities in rural and urban areas across the region, and to work closely with schools and education services to bring creative writing opportunities to as many children and young people as possible. I’m excited to continue our strong collaborative relationships with Fighting Words Ireland and other writing centres across the island and internationally. Our transformative writing opportunities are more crucial than ever.”
Welcoming the appointment, Tim Newell, Chair of Fighting Words NI, said;
“We’re excited to welcome Hilary to Fighting Words Northern Ireland. Her appointment represents a new stage of development for the organisation and we look forward to supporting her in her role.”
