Vane Women
Vane Women are a collective of writers from the North East of England dedicated to the promotion and development of women’s writing. The Vane Women Press was first launched in 1994 and ran for 30 years, publishing 34 texts before closing in 2024. Over the years, Vane Women have run numerous writing workshops and readings, particularly reaching out to rural areas and working with various WI groups in order to make the arts more accessible outside of cities and towns. Aside from publishing, Vane Women have organised exhibitions, workshops, readings and performances, both in the North East and nationally. Currently, the members of Vane Women define their intensions as; the promotion and development of their members writing and that of other women writers including a personal commitment from each member to develop her own writing, to support women’s writing in the north east of England by mentoring, outreach, and performance and through publishing, and to bring their writing and publications to a wider audience.
Founding Members: Allison Agius, Misty Ashton, Joanna Boulter, Wendy Iliff, Jackie Litherland, Dorothy Long, Pat Maycroft, Margaret Rule, Irene Stacey, Vicki Thomas, Louise Watson, Annie Wright.
Current Members: Lindsay Balderson, Diane Cockburn, Jackie Litherland, Dorothy Long, Marilyn Longstaff, Pat Maycroft, Felicity Manning.
Vane Women Press Publications:
• Safety Measures against the Sea- Katharine Goda 2023
• Glorious Vane- Anthology Vane Women plus published poets 2023
• Inscape -Poetry Kathleen Bainbridge 2021
• The Girl in the Blue Dress -Poetry Rachel Burns 2019
• The Ship Owner’s House -Poetry Judi Sutherland 2018
• Majuba Road -Poetry Julie Hogg 2016
• NorthBOUND -Anthology Vane Women plus guests 2016
• The eternally packed suitcase -Poetry Lisa Matthews 2015
• Blue Horse -Poetry Joanna Boulter 2014
• In a Savage Country -Poetry Ann Graal 2013
• No Random Loving -Poetry Dorothy Long 2013
• Love in Vane -Anthology Vane Women 2009
• One Hand Waving Free -Poetry Sheila Binks 2009
• Collecting Stones -Harehope Quarry Anthology 2008
• Stripping the Blackthorn -Poetry Lindsay Balderson 2008
• The Laden Table -Poetry Celia McCulloch 2006
• The Spar Box -Poetry Pippa Little 2006
• The Right Amount of Vinegar- Poetry/Prose Margaret Rule 2005
• Burning the Blue Winged Boys- Short Stories Chris Powell 2005
• All Aboard the Moving Staircase – Poetry Pru Kitching 2004
• Hunting the Air- Poetry Lesley Mountain 2004
• Rewriting the Map- Collaborative Anthology with Shore Women, Isle of Wight
2003
• As If- Poetry Jo Colley 2002• Northern Grit- Photographs/Poetry Anthology Pat Maycroft and Vane Women
2002
• Dark Matters- Poetry Anne Hine 2001
• Puritan Games- Poetry Marilyn Longstaff 2001
• She River- Poetry Linda Saunders 1999
• Nettle Beds- Prose/poetry Irene Stacey 1999
• Plain Song- Poetry Sarah Knight 1999
• Under Surveillance- Prose/poetry Diane Cockburn 1999
• Bitter Kisses- Poetry Wendy Iliff 1998
• Walking Through Glass- Poetry Vicki Thomas 1998
• A Feather Behind the Ear- Anthology Vane Women 1995
• Off the Shelf- Anthology Vane Women 1993
