Madeline Heneghan
Co-Director
Madeline Heneghan is a Co-Director at Writing on the Wall, which she joined as Festival Director in 2005. Prior to joining WoW Madeline has been employed as the Action Plan Coordinator for Liverpool’s Black and Racial Minority Network, an Equalities Consultant, a sessional lecturer and a resettlement worker with London’s homeless. Madeline has an MA in American History & Literature and has Co-authored, with Emy Onuora, a book based on the plight of black workers in Liverpool in the post WW1 period. Madeline is a Director of the LCR Culture Network and in 2024 she became the Culture representative on the newly formed LCR Visitor Economy Panel. Madeline works alongside Co-Director Mike Morris on WoW's strategic direction.
Locklynne Hall
Deputy Director
Lockie is our newest team member to join the WoW team in January 2025. Lockie has spent the previous couple of decades working out of Warrington where he began working as a social worker for the Local Authority back in 2001. Since then Lockie became a Business Analyst and subsequently worked as the Business Director for Culture Warrington for a number of years. Running in tandem to this role, Lockie also worked as a Health and Wellbeing Director in Warrington and his work focused on improving the town's health and wellbeing, often through the magic of the arts. Lockie is delighted to be working closer to home, not necessarily in the geographical sense, but with regards to working with the regions people. Lockie understands that the Liverpool City Region is a cultural epicentre whereby talent is, in some respects, untapped. Lockie is keen to help untap and showcase that in the future.
Mike Morris
Co-Director
Mike Morris is a Co-Director and founder of Writing on the Wall (WoW). His background in community work, education, filmmaking, and playwriting, has a pivotal role in his work as part of the team that creates, curates and delivers WoW's annual festivals and numerous projects.
Mike has a deep commitment to social change through creative expression, having worked as a Learning Mentor at Anfield CC School and contributed as either writer, producer or director to notable film projects including the BAFTA nominated Channel 4 Dockers and the documentary Liverpool's Cunard Yanks. He also authored and produced two successful stage plays, Waiting for Brando and Subterranean Theatre: The Maurie, both of which garnered critical acclaim.
Holding a BA in Literature & American Studies and an MA in Creative Writing from Liverpool John Moores University, Mike has led efforts to promote, develop and publish new writers from the Liverpool City Region, including founding WoW’s acclaimed Pulp Idol novel writing competition and leading the team that delivered the 2020-21 Year of Writing for Liverpool City Council. He is a member of the Poverty Research Action Network (PRAN), the LCR Community Asset Holding Company Reference Group, and the National Archives Expert Panel for Archives Revealed. Mike works alongside Co-Director Madeline Heneghan to develop WoW’s organisational capacity and guide WoW’s strategic vision direction. His work remains a vital part of Liverpool's artistic and cultural landscape.
Stuart Borthwick
Chair of Trustees
Stuart Borthwick is chair of Writing on the Wall and a photographer, DJ, historian and academic professional. He has written three books, Popular Music Genres: An Introduction (with colleague Dr Ron Moy), The Writing on the Wall: A Visual History of Northern Ireland's Troubles for Bluecoat Press and Positive Vibrations: Politics, Polytricks and the Story of Reggae for Reaktion Books (shortlisted for the Penderyn Prize 2023). He is currently working on a new book on the murals of Northern Ireland. Stuart considers his contribution to Writing on the Wall to be his greatest achievement the fulfilment of all his dreams. Favourite book: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Favourite album: Screamadelica. Favourite film: Meantime. Favourite WoWFest events, the first one he did with Danny Morrison, all of Phil Scraton’s events, that crazy Irvine Welsh one, and 2023’s closing event, the None of the Above cabaret.
Lisa McMullen
Trustee
Lisa has been a WoW Trustee since 2019. She has a background in women’s economic development and entrepreneurship. She has experience of working directly with would-be entrepreneurs, small businesses and social enterprise leaders to build entrepreneurial capacity and create value for their communities. Lisa’s work includes designing, developing and delivering innovative and impactful projects that seek to bring meaningful change for individuals, organisations and communities. Based in Liverpool, Lisa works across the region as well as with organisations nationally and internationally to provide quality services and understand their impact.
Paul Amman
Trustee
Paul Amann is a policy officer for employment and skills at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. He has been working in the sector for over 20 years and has won the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Best Regeneration and Best Social Housing awards for his work in helping people improve their neighbourhoods. Paul helped set up the first official Liverpool Pride, and is founder of Kop Outs the LGBT+ fan group for LFC. Paul is an active trade unionist and has worked on UNISON’s Black and LGBT+ self organised group national committees. Having attended WoW events for many years and participated in a WoW writing workshop project, Paul is keen to contribute to the continued success of Wow’s work.
Penny Feeny
Trustee
Penny Feeny is the author of four contemporary novels, including the best-selling That Summer in Ischia, as well as several award-winning short stories. She has also worked as a CAB adviser, a Radio Merseyside presenter, a copywriter and a freelance editor. She’s been closely involved with community and the arts in Liverpool for many years, and has served on the boards of the Everyman Theatre, Brouhaha International and Liverpool Housing Trust. She has been a judge and editor for WoW’s unique Pulp Idol competition since its inception and is proud to be a Trustee of Writing on the Wall.
Janaya Pickett
Creative Heritage Manager
Janaya Pickett is a local historian, writer and facilitator whose career began in 2014 as a volunteer on WoW's Great War to Race Riots project, namely the hugely successful 1919 Walking Tours. Janaya was also a participant on our L8 Law centre archive project and went on to curate the Mersey Sounds soundscape for our Speaker's Corner installation. Most recently Janaya worked as project manager on our Dorothy Kuya archive project, writing and narrating the Dorothy Kuya archive podcast, as well as hosting and producing WoW events for WoWFEST and Black History Month.
Janaya is currently an MRes student at the University of Liverpool, researching post-war black Liverpool.
Jenny Dalton
Publishing Coordinator
Jenny is a writer and bookworm from Middlesbrough who joined the WoW team in 2021. Jenny has an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing and a MA in Creative Writing from LJMU. As Publishing Coordinator, Jenny works on the editing, design, production, publication and distribution of WoW’s books.
Jenny also manages WoW's social media and marketing as well as working on design for various projects and manages WoW’s annual Pulp Idol novel writing competition. When Jenny is not at WoW, she can be found reading and hanging out with her pet rabbits: Rue and Rhea.
Rachael Hankin
Publishing Coordinator - ReCITE
Rachael joined Writing on the Wall in September 2024 as Project Coordinator for the ReCITE project. With a background rooted in Liverpool’s vibrant creative scene, she has gained experience working across various venues and creative organisations in the city and as a creative freelancer and live music & promo photographer.
When she’s not working or immersed in the world of art and culture, she enjoys travelling, reading, weight training and spending quality time with her pets.
Lyn Papadopoulos
Project Coordinator - Write to Work
Lyn joined the WoW team in September 2024 but has long been a supporter. A varied career in soaps has been spent storylining, script editing and writing some of the most explosive moments on the small screen - from tram crashes in Coronation Street to train crashes in Hollyoaks. An experienced screenwriter, Lyn is Project Coordinator on the Write to Work programme and is working on a new commission for the Liverpool Royal Court.
Alys Oates
Project and Admin Worker
Alys joined our team in late 2023 after completing a Master's programme at Edge Hill University as an international student from the United States. Their journey with WoW began as a student placement and later as a volunteer.
Alys manages a variety of tasks around the office, with a special focus on administration, social media, and publishing. Outside of work, they are a passionate writer, currently working on a fantasy novel, and a slow reader who’s steadily tackling their ever-growing to-be-read pile.
Niamh Myles
Project Worker - Write to Work
Niamh started out at Writing on the Wall as a volunteer during WoWFEST: FAHRENHEIT 2024 after reporting on the festival for the Liverpool Echo. She then provided support on the Write to Work project as a freelancer before officially joining the team as Project Worker in September 2024. Before joining WoW, Niamh studied English Literature at the University of Liverpool where she favoured Renaissance drama, Gothic fiction, and feminist literary criticism. She also enjoys writing, music, and spending time in nature.
Shahrzad Akbar
Project Worker - ReCITE
Shahrzad joined Writing on the Wall in 2024 as a project worker with a background in social sciences and cultural studies and experience working at organisations such as National Galleries Scotland and Tate Liverpool. At Writing on the Wall (WoW), She implements creative programmes focused on the ReCITE project, collaborates with artists and community partners, and supports participants and volunteers. She has a deep passion for museums and galleries and is also a freelance videographer. Shahrzad enjoys rowing as a member of her local rowing club in her free time.