Rosemary MacLean

Musician and MA Creative Writing Student

I have a collection of poetry that I am nearly ready to self-publish and I am using my MA as a chance to develop a novel.

Getting so much from my undergraduate experience

Through my BA in English and Writing I was able to explore playwriting as a medium and found myself immersed in critical theory and experimental literature. This allowed me to develop my craft and engage with ideas that have influenced me ever since.

Continued support to embark on an MA in Creative Writing

After taking time away from studies to focus on performance art and music, I began work on the play, entitled Realitease: A Cultural Detritus Revue. The play follows two diva demonologists, Rebecca L’amour and Tiffany Delicious, as they embark on a jukebox musical joyride and ultimately destroy reality.

I got back in touch with my incredible tutor, Oz Hardwick, who read my work and encouraged me to submit it for publication before I started my MA. I am incredibly thankful to him and the department as a whole for their ongoing support of alumni like myself. I am thrilled to have returned to study with them in 2024 and develop further as a writer.

The inspiration behind my play

The play was inspired by the writings of the CCRU, Deleuze and Guattari’s Capitalism and Schizophrenia, the Situationist movement, chaos and a generally gnostic understanding of what it means to exist as a transgender woman.

Having my work published

In 2024 my first absurdist/satirical play script was published in issue 11 of Emanations, an anthology of experimental writing from writers all over the world. It was an extract from my play Realitease: A Cultural Detritus Revue.

Being published allowed me to take my first steps as a writer beyond what is purely for my practice itself and get started taking readers along with me on my journey. It meant that I could share and develop ideas that I find exciting through creative exploration, and that others found that interesting.

My advice to others and my next steps

You don’t have to be perfect to get published, just try things out and see if you can get others into it. 

I have a collection of poetry that I am nearly ready to self-publish and I am using my MA as a chance to develop a novel.