Marianne L. Berghuis

Words from the Coast – Anstruther Creative Writing Project – with Fife Writes.

Starting July 24th 2025

Ticket link below:

• Week 1- Thurs 24th July
• Week 2 -Thurs 7th Aug
• Week 3 – Thurs 1st Aug 
• Week 4 – Thurs 4th Sept
• Week 5 – Thurs 18th Sept– 
• Showcase Event – Sat 27th of Sept

Voices & Visions of a WITCH

4th of June – 11th of August

‘Words from the Coast’ is a creative writing project designed to immerse participants in the evocative environment of the coast. Through guided workshops and individual explorations, writers will engage all their senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste – to craft vivid, sensory-driven work exploring different genres of coast-inspired writing, such as poetry, prose, and personal narratives. This project seeks to inspire creativity by encouraging participants to connect with experiences of the coastal landscape and stories of the sea then be invited to channel that inspiration into their writing.

This project is open to writers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned authors, who are interested in exploring coastal themes in their work. Participants should have a willingness to engage their senses and experiment with new creative techniques. Please note that sign up is for the complete project with its finale ending in a showcase event where participants will share their words in front of an audience, (support & encouragement will be given for people new to performing).

Proud to have my poetry displayed in this exhibition.

The Scottish Witchcraft Act (ANENTIS WITCHCRAFTIS) came into effect on the 4th of June 1563. Under this law, the practice of witchcraft and consulting with witches became capital offences. It is estimated that in Scotland alone, around four thousand people (84% of whom were women) were persecuted, with two-thirds of these executed for the crime of witchcraft. The Act remained on Scottish statute books until it was repealed in 1735.

This innovative exhibition, with over 50 pieces, is a creative response to the deadly law penned by the hands of men that lit the spark of the burning times. The exhibition has been curated by Rowan Morrison and features a collection of multimedia art, poetry and prose from a coven of creatives whose artistry is interwoven with remembrance of the Scottish witch hunts.

The visual and literary art interpretations of witch persecution are offered without an accompanying history written from the viewpoint of the patriarchal elite. This method unweaves the blinkered bias that dehumanises the accused witches and enables you to bear witness to unveiled visions and intimate voices that are channelled from the otherworld.

This emotive exhibition will take you back to a time when the skies above Scotland were lit with flames, fuelled by the flesh of burning women.