Author
Writer, Poet, Owl enthusiast
Current Projects:
Board member for Voicebox Wxm: next event featuring headliner Tia-Zakura is on the 13th October in Bank Street :)
One of the Co-Curators for the Young Poets’ Summit at the 2025 Forward
Prize
Co-Curator for an upcoming ‘Love Letters to Wrexham’ anthology
Novel Openings Feedback Editor for ECHO REVIEW
ABOUT HOLLY
Holly Thorpe is a Welsh poet, author, and facilitator. She is a member of Voicebox Wxm, Hive South Yorkshire, and The Writing Squad. Holly has been published in several anthologies and competed at slams such as One Mic Stand x The Forward Prizes and The Big Gay Poetry Night — Mamma Queer ABBA Special with poems about potatoes and cash machines.
Her work has been published in the Hive anthology After Hours and in The Sheffield Review (see the Portfolio page for more about Holly’s writing projects).
She enjoys using short fiction to explore ways of thinking through mental health and Queer experience. Holly is currently working on her debut novel that uses Welsh myth to investigate the loss that comes with change.
Holly grew up in Wrexham and moved to Sheffield to study English Literature at the University of Sheffield. She’s currently based in Wrexham and her research interests include animal representation in literature, folklore, and experimental fiction.
Wrexham is a fantastic, creative city and it’s a hub for a diverse range of Welsh voices that deserve to be heard. The Carnival is an amazing event that brings writers together, both from Wrexham and beyond.
Recent events:
2025 Wrexham Carnival of Words
Love Letters to Wrexham: Holly Thorpe leads this panel of well-known writers Peter Read, Fiona Collins, Pete Evans and Georgina Gittins as they chat about some of their memorable books and blog posts dedicated to their passion for Wrexham and surrounding area - From Hollywood to Wrexham; the Wrexham People's Poems; Wrexham County Folk Tales; Walking Tours and Guidebooks; and the untold tales of Wrexham Women's History.
Short Story Workshop: Holly Thorpe is running a one-hour beginner workshop that will explore how you can approach writing and structuring short stories. With a writing game and exercises focused on experimenting, this will be a fun and relaxed session that will hopefully leave you armed with writing tips and plenty of inspiration for your next short story. Friday 25th April at 5.00pm in Wrexham Library.
Holly has spoken at the Wrexham Carnival of Words as a panellist twice, including recently in 2024 to argue that adaptations and fanfiction of Sherlock are the best, and led a panel and workshop in the recent 2025 carnival.
Panellist at the Wrexham Carnival of Words
Holly is a co-host of Bookylicious, a podcast all about books, writing, and occasionally, debates about cheese.
Listen now
Holly joined the Bookylicious team in February 2021, back when it was still Calon Talks Books and she had to improv a scene from Macbeth in her first episode Holly has helped interview authors such as the amazing Alis Hawkins and produces promotional material for the podcast