Taking place every Autumn, the Birmingham Literature Festival is a leading festival in the Midlands, showcasing the very best writers, speakers, thinkers, activists and artists from the UK and across the world. 

Based in North Solihull, Our Words, Our Walls will give local young people the chance to put their stamp on their hometown through poetry and visual art. Co-produced by Emily Holtom and Katie Holtom, the project will see the creation of several public murals, developed with guidance from professional poets and local artists.

Reimagining tradition through poetry & music.

Award-winning composer Christof R Davis has announced a major new collaborative project, Re:Verse, developed in partnership with poet Emily Holtom, and supported by Arts Council England.

As part of Rural Media's talent fund for emerging artists, Emily has been commissioned to create three short poetry films designed for social media platforms. Her films are due to be released after July 2026.

Hosted by Birmingham City University in collaboration with Writing West Midlands. This annual event gives participants the tools and confidence to take their next steps as writers in what can often be a very overwhelming professional world. 

Emily works part-time as Programme Manager for Children and Young People at Writing West Midlands, the regional writers development agency. She programs and produces the Annual Careers in Writing Day conference, coordinates two online and one printed youth  publication annually, and oversees 240 creative writing workshops for young people across the wider West Midlands each year.

Taking place every Autumn, the Birmingham Literature Festival is a leading festival in the Midlands, showcasing the very best writers, speakers, thinkers, activists and artists from the UK and across the world. 

Poet in residence: Knowle, Solihull.

Emily collected local stories and reflections on the theme of freedom, inspiring poems created with and for the community. Part of a UK-wide project from Future Arts Centres, marking 80 years since VE and VJ day. 

Emily was an artist facilitator for this ACE-funded creative action research project focusing on young dancers’ relationship with body image. Using poetry as a tool, she supported participants to express and reflect on their experiences, contributing to a collaborative effort to foster a healthier, more inclusive dance environment and bodily relationship. This is a project of Hungry 2 Move.

Emily works as a part-time freelance Coordinator for the official Midlands light festival consortium, supporting the Strategic Lead and assisting with consortium planning. Her role supports collaboration among Midlands festivals and cultural organisations to strengthen the regional creative ecology. The consortium is lucky to have representation from not-for-profit light-art festivals from across the entire region.

A celebration of the Mayor of Solihull's year in office and the grand reopening of The Core Theatre - bringing together an eclectic mix of entertainment in aid of the Mayoral Charities. Emily was invited to bring her typewriter to 'mesmerise' VIP guests at the event with pop-up poetry on demand.

As Project Manager, Emily led the delivery of this large, ACE-funded, cross-disciplinary collaboration following its initial R&D phase. Coordinating authors, illustrators, musicians, and producers, she oversaw production of the printed book and Storytelling EP, culminating in a vibrant public launch that showcased creativity across multiple art forms.

Emily delivered a series of poetry workshops at SEN schools across Solihull and Birmingham, encouraging students to explore abstract poetry in new ways. She supported their creative expression and later edited their work to produce a printed Zine, showcasing the young people’s voices and creativity.

Emily was commissioned to write and perform original poetry as part of Small is Beautiful, a Culture Solihull event showcasing micro-commissions from local artists. Across two nights of live performance, she shared her work alongside creatives from diverse art forms, contributing to a celebration of Solihull’s vibrant and growing arts scene. Her poetry was on display in the Core Theatre Gallery.