2026 committee

The Writers' Summer School is run entirely by volunteers. The committee is made up of just eight people (four officers and four members) who work throughout the year to put together the learning timetable, engage the speakers and tutors, organise all the extra curricular activities such as the morning meditation and the various evening events and entertainment on offer. We also negotiate our contracts with The Hayes, write and publish the programme booklet, maintain the website and promote the school through social media. During the School week - we are also supported by our 'army' of willing volunteers. Meet your committee for 2026.

KEITH HINCHY

CHAIRMAN

Keith spent many decades working as a manager in highly complex technical industries and, following early retirement, he discovered and developed a growing interest in writing.

He joined a small successful local writers group called Newport Writers (based in Shropshire) and now acts as the Chair there as well as Vice Chair for a much larger group, Wrekin Writers (also in Shropshire).

He he is both honoured and delighted to add Chair of Swanwick Writers’ Summer School to his portfolio.

Keith first came to Swanwick in 2016 and, along with many others, found himself captivated by the magic.

He is passionate about securing the long-term future of the Writers' Summer School and is looking forward to his second term as Chair, following a very successful sell out school in 2025.

Email: chair@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk

maria hennings hunt

vice chair

Maria brings a wealth of experience to the Writers Summer School, having been Vice Chair on numerous previous occasions.

Maria's journey with WSS began in 1992, as an unpublished young writer, eager to learn all she could about the craft of writing. Thirty years on, she is a successful published writer of both fiction and non-fiction having worked for over 20 years in the newspaper publishing industry, notably at Travel Trade Gazette and The Daily Express, as well as writing short stories for the women’s press. She went freelance in 1999, whilst at the same time training to become a dance teacher.

In 2003, she founded Dance Generation, her southeast London based dance school, which now also provides a platform for her weekly update/blog and in 2023 she had two children’s picture books published: ‘The Lullaby Fairy’ and ‘Bear Hug’.

Drawing from both her successful careers in writing and teaching, Maria is looking forward to ensuring her passion and enthusiasm for The Writers' Summer School is reflected in putting together a vibrant and varied programme for 2026.

Email: vicechair@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk

sally warr

treasurer

Sally has been attending The Writers' Summer School since 2018, first becoming the newsletter editor in 2022 and then taking up the post as Treasurer in 2023.

For most of her professional career, Sally worked in Education Management and has over 35 years’ experience of working in FE environments. She is a skilled senior manager and for the final six years, before retiring in 2022, she worked as an educational consultant to a variety of institutions around the country.

Sally is a dedicated volunteer and over the years has held positions of secretary and treasurer at a local playgroup, served on the committee of her local primary school before being elected to the chair.

She has also chaired several groups responsible for improving the lives of young people with additional learning needs in the community.

Sally lives in an old farmhouse with her husband in rural North Lincolnshire and is currently writing the first in a series of novels with an archaeological theme.

Email: treasurer@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk

SARAH MOORE

SECRETARY

Before becoming a director in her family run business, Sarah had many years direct experience of working in the charities sector in a legal/advocacy and managerial capacity. She holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, graduating on schedule in 2020 despite COVID-19 attempting to scupper her schedule.

Sarah’s first Summer School was in 2019 where – as well as attending the many courses on offer – she found herself duetting with the legendary Phil Collins, shamelessly performing Victoria Wood’s ‘Ballad of Freda and Barry’, waving a Woman's Weekly magazine as a prop at the popular Buskers’ Night.

Thanks to her many appearances on the WSS stage since then, she has now landed several amateur dramatic roles, regularly performing in pantomime. (Oh yes, she has!)

Sarah regularly attends a couple of local writers' groups and founded her own group to meet the needs of her rural community, where nonagenarians are in the majority.

She is is honoured to serve as Secretary on the Writers’ Summer School committee.

Email: secretary@swanwickwriterschool.org.uk

phil collins

committee member

Phil first came to the Writers' Summer School back in 2006 and hasn’t missed a year since. With a background in engineering and technical writing he’s enjoyed moving on to fiction and comedy writing.

A regular contributor to Page to Stage since its beginning, he has several ‘Swannies’ sitting on his desk.

He has written a couple of pantomimes and enjoys acting and directing. He also plays guitar and ukulele badly and can often be found emptying pubs at open mic evenings in his home town of Shrewsbury.

He joined the school committee in 2015 and became Chair of the school in 2018 and 2019.

After a five year break he decided to rejoin the committee and following the huge success of the school in 2025, he is looking forward to helping organise the 2026 school.

gemma owen-kendall

committee member

Gemma first came to Summer School in 2022 and in 2023, she was signed to SpellBound Books Ltd who offered her a three-book deal. The first – Red Daisy - was published in July and launched at the School in 2024, and her second, Black Rose is scheduled to be published in Autumn 2026.

Gemma currently runs a weekly creative writing group called The Globe Writers. She is so passionate about helping people develop their writing craft, she encourages members to collaborate by contributing to a yearly anthology and so far, they have released five books.

She lives in Grimsby and works as a Sales Administrator for a local car dealership. She also does casual work within the events and promotions industry, which she has done since 2008 when in her final year of a Drama degree at Lincoln University. She has always loved writing and her English primary school teacher often said that she had a wild and active imagination!

Gemma is over the moon to be on the 2026 committee and is looking forward to helping put together the programme for 2026.

She is particularly enthusiastic about encouraging younger writers to attend the Summer School.

elaine tomba

committee member

After several years of calling in to see her mum (Pauline Hallam Mason) whilst she was attending The Swanwick Writers' Summer School, Elaine has now attended the School full time for the last three years and is delighted to be on the 2026 committee.

She is Nottingham born and bred and has had numerous jobs from patisserie baking in hotels and restaurants, to an administrative role in the NHS, which she has done for the last 25 years.

Elaine is passionate about poetry having dabbled in writing poetry most of her life, as both a creative and therapeutic outlet and she had a poem published when she was just 12 years old.

The Swanwick Writers' Summer School has enabled Elaine to become more creative and push herself further than she ever thought possible and one day she promises to put a book together.

She has a son who is a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, and 13 year old twin granddaughters.

Cathy Grimmer

committee member

Cathy is a former Swanwick Chair, having first attended the School in 2008.

She has run her own tax consultancy business for the last 20 years and she lives in Ripon in North Yorkshire, having started life much further South (no Essex girl jokes, please!).

Having started out writing short stories and humorous poetry, Cathy developed a taste for play-writing
after taking part in Swanwick’s Page To Stage. At some point (probably when she retires!) she hopes to
have time to write plays of her own but, in the meantime, she performs with a local AmDram group and
has now started directing, giving her a new insight into the playwright’s art.

For leisure and pleasure she enjoys walking in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and has recently takenup birdwatching.

Cathy is pleased to be back on the Swanwick committee and is looking forward to using her years of committee experience to help to ensure that the 2026 School is a great success.