Meet the Creative Bridges Poets-in-Residence!

Lapidus Co-Chair, Mel Perry, gives an update on the Creative Bridges conference, and introduces our new Poets-in-Residence.

We usually do words rather than numbers in Lapidus, but we have some very exciting news regarding Creative Bridges 2025 to share with you.

Thank you to everyone who made a submission to deliver a workshop or presentation at this year’s conference. Thank you if you applied to be the Poet-in-Residence. Thank you also if you offered to provide one of our wellbeing breathing time spaces.

We were blessed with an abundance of submissions — over 75, in fact! We could have run two conferences with the wonderful ideas that you presented to us, and we had to make some difficult choices. No doubt some of you will feel disappointed that you have not been offered a place this year. I hope that you will consider offering a session for our LLRC events, contribute an article to LIRIC or the Magazine, or approach us with another offer that we will find impossible to refuse! Regardless of the outcome I hope that you will join us online for the conference.

We were so impressed by the poet-in-residence applications that we have decided to appoint two who will work together to create their poetic reflections of the conference. We are delighted to introduce you to Karrish Devan and Nazaret Ranea.

Meet Karrish Devan

Karrish is an award-winning writer and poet based in London, born to first generation Kenyan-Indian immigrants. Inspired from a young age by his mother’s political activism, his work explores hidden histories and the secrets we find in the archive. He is currently represented by Abi Fellows, at DHH Literary agency. When not writing, he works as a medical doctor with an NHS team providing psychological support to refugees and asylum seekers.

Meet Nazaret Ranea

Nazaret is a Spanish-born writer living in Edinburgh. Her work — often rooted in themes of memory, belonging, and the messy beauty of displacement — has been described as both tender and unflinching. In 2023, she was named one of Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars, and in 2025, she was the Poet in Residence for StAnza Poetry Festival’s translation award. Her debut poetry collection, Nettles, will be published by Drunk Muse Press in June 2025. She has published poetry zines, edited anthologies, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, BBC Radio Scotland, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Nazaret also designs community-focused workshops that blend poetry, collage, and personal storytelling, fostering spaces where participants connect, celebrate diversity, and rediscover the power of words and images. She has facilitated sessions in festivals, and community hubs across Scotland, driven by the belief that creativity thrives in collaboration.

Thank you to everyone who made a submission and a big thank you to our reviewers who read every application. We look forward to seeing you at the conference in September, tickets for which are available now.