Saturday 25 April | 12.30 – 2.00pm
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith St, Rochdale OL16 1XU
Ever wondered whether you could write your own fiction? Join me at Rochdale Central Library for a short fiction workshop.
Short fiction can be the most powerful way of telling a story. You will learn how to turn your ideas into compelling stories – from half a page of flash fiction to longer tales of several thousand words – and explore how to keep the reader gripped through character, plot, place, and dialogue.
All you need to bring along is a pen some paper and few ideas.
Book your free place on Eventbrite now.

Friday 26 June | 7.30pm
Spitalfields Music Festival | Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT
Music and poetry to contemplate peace in our modern world.
Five poets come together bringing their own perspectives to contemplate: What does peace look like? In a world ever more shaped by uncertainty and unrest, the need for space to reflect on peace feels urgent. For the opening concert of the 50th anniversary of Spitalfields Music Festival. join us to share a programme of music and spoken word. Four newly commissioned poems from Matt Abbott, Malika Booker, Simon Mundy, and Reshma Ruia weave through a programme that guides the audience through a journey of reflection. Featuring a specially commissioned piece by composer Philip Herbert, sprung from a fitting quote from UN Secretary António Guterres: “Peace is the missing piece”.
Book tickets here.

Last month I was lucky enough to visit Bookbanks Manchester for its first ever author talk! I gave a short reading from Still Lives. Renard Press kindly provided 25 copies which were eagerly swept up by the guests, who stayed after the reading to ask questions, chat and pose for selfies!
Author talks like this one happen quarterly across with partnering food banks, thanks to a very special programme at Bookbanks called Matthew’s Talks – live events celebrating and exploring the power of words in a way that’s interactive, inclusive, and – most importantly – exciting.
Bookbanks is a new charity that brings books to food banks in the UK and encourages a love for reading.

Friday 21 November
What a joyful celebration of Renard! Five years of publishing 165 books, covering fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and anthologies. It was a full house (or church) and great to meet so many fellow authors from the Renard family and beyond and hear them read. Words are sacred and St. Mary’s church in Islington was the perfect setting.
All proceeds for the Five Years: An Anthology go to Bookbanks.

Friday 14 November
The night when poetry triumphed over the elements. Storm Claudia with its torrential rain and cancelled trains couldn’t dampen our spirits or keep us away. It was such a treat to share my poetry with the wonderful audience at Reading Poets Cafe along with fellow poets from The Whole Kahani. Thank you to South Street Arts for having us.

Here are a few pics from the evening:

Candlestick Press Regional Showcase
Sunday 28 September | 6.30 – 8.00pm
Online
A celebration of the poetry of place. Join us for a free online event to celebrate the publication of eight beautiful titles exploring the UK from north to south and east to west. There’ll be readings by over 40 contributing poets and guest editors in a poetic tour taking in Cornwall, Cumbria, Norfolk, Northumberland, the Lake District, the Peak District, Somerset and Yorkshire. I will be reading my poem inspired by my stay at Wordsworth’s home in Ambleside.

Short Story September Festival Weekend
Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 September 2025
Phoenix Square Digital Media Centre, 4 Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG
Thrilled to be a part of the Short Story September Festival. Join us for a jam-packed weekend of talks and workshops on mastering short stories.
I will be running The Significance of Voice Workshop on Sunday 21st (online) where we will discuss the crucial building blocks for writing authentically.
Check out the full schedule and book your early bird ticket by August 26th.

Manchester Festival of Libraries
Thursday 5 June | 6:00 – 7:30pm
Stretford Library, Kingsway, Stretford, M32 8AP
I will be at Stretford Library running a creative writing workshop as part of Manchester Festival of Libraries. Do drop in!

Join me in London at the 7th Khushwant Singh Literature Festival
Saturday 31 May 2025
SOAS, 10 Thornhaugh St, London WC1H 0XG
The theme was Humanity Across Borders and there was an exciting line up of writers and thinkers. I was in conversation with Devika Rege and Shueyb Gandapur. We talked about Politics, Privilege and Purpose in Fiction.

An absorbing and interesting conversation about the changing socio-political landscape of India and how national and regional identities can at times be in conflict. We talked about the urban and rural divide and the schism between a liberal, Westernised urban elite and the rural, religious majority.

The audience was lively and made some interesting observations and SOAS was the perfect backdrop to a day devoted to a meeting of minds and celebration of ideas.

Reflecting The World We Live In With Author Reshma Ruia
Burnley Words Festival
Saturday May 17 2025 | 2:00pm
We are all made up of stories. Some we have lived through, some we dream about, some are pure flights of imagination.
In this creative writing workshop you will have a chance to set these stories free.

Word of Mouth @ Chorlton Arts Festival
Tuesday 20 May 2025 | 7:30 – 9:30pm
Carlton Club, 113 Carlton Road, Greater Whalley Range, Manchester M16 8BE
Join us for a fun evening of spoken word as part of Chorlton Arts Festival.
Book your tickets on Eventbrite

Lyra Poetry Festival, Bristol
New Lyrical Ballads: Coleridge and Wordsworth
Friday 25 April 2025 | 7:00 – 8:00pm | Free
Waterstones, 11A, Union Galleries, Broadmead, 11 Union St, Bristol BS1 3XD
225 years after the publication of Lyrical Ballads Volume 2, and 230 years since Wordsworth and Coleridge met for the first time in Bristol, join us for a lively discussion around the enduring legacy of two giants of the Romantic poetry movement. This panel event will include discussions of the text and how its social and environmental themes are relevant today.

Forthwrite Women’s Festival of Writing
Saturday 15 March | 3:30pm
The Old Courtroom, 118 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UD
I am appearing at the wonderful Forthwrite Women’s Festival of Writing in Brighton. Join us for thought provoking panel discussions and inspiring workshops.

Ghosts at the Old Library
Saturday 7 and Friday 13 December
8:00 – 10:00pm
Levenshulme Old Library, Cromwell Grove, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3QE
December is made for books. Long cosy evenings with a warm drink in the company of words that carry you far away. Join me and five other fabulous writers at Levenshulme Old Library for two nights of spooky ghost telling. Hear us read from our specially commissioned stories inspired by memories, stories, and experiences of the neighbourhood. Unsettling winter tales that honour the tradition of ghost stories at Christmas.