Fri 26 Jun
|The Threshing Barn
Johnny Campbell & Sue Reed: A Sense of Place
An evening of Word & Song
Time & Location
26 Jun 2026, 18:00 – 22:00
The Threshing Barn, Green Croft On The Wall Lane, B6318, Gilsland, off CA8 7EL, UK
About the Event
Johnny Campbell & Sue Reed: A Sense Of Place
Step into an evening of connection and landscape through creative writing and song.
Join Northumberland-based writer Sue Reed for an immersive creative writing workshop exploring sense of place—how we connect to the land, to memory, and to ourselves. Beginning with a gentle grounding meditation, Sue will guide you through readings, sensory exercises and time outdoors to gather inspiration, before moving into free writing and optional sharing in a supportive, welcoming space.
Open to all—whether you’re an experienced writer or simply curious—this workshop invites you to slow down, notice more deeply, and find your voice.
“Writing with a sense of place is important. The reader needs to feel as though they are there with your protagonist, walking the paths of the story alongside them. We can use the senses to set the scene, and this is what I invite us to do in this workshop.”
The evening continues with a live set from acclaimed folk artist Johnny Campbell, whose evocative songs of landscape, journey and belonging provide a powerful close to the night. Rooted in Northern English tradition, his music weaves together story, place and lived experience, bringing the spirit of the land vividly to life.
Johnny first played The Threshing Barn as part of his 60th Anniversary Pennine Way tour, walking the route and performing along the way—a journey that deeply informs his songwriting. We’re delighted to welcome him back for this special evening, where his music returns to the landscape that inspired it.
About the Artists
Sue Reed (@suereedwrites)
Writing from the frontlines of midlife: voice reclaimed, garden muddy and shame left in the dust, Sue is a neurodivergent writer who has made her home in the wilds of Northumberland, where her love of nature inspires her work. She is the author of The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn, a book that tells of one young girl's journey to find her authentic self, intertwined with the true story of Ann Watson, executed during the 1649 Newcastle Witch Trials. Her second novel, about the power of community and protest, in which the tragic felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap, is interwoven with Molly's experiences of grief, both personal and collective, is on the way to publication.
Website: suereedwrites.co.uk
Johnny Campbell
Johnny emerged onto the UK folk scene writing self-penned material and delving deep into Northern English folk song and story. The album From Hull & Halifax & Hell (2020) took him to The Faroe Islands where he recorded a live album on the island of Nolsoy. Since musical instruments hadn’t arrived on the islands until the 19th century, this is perhaps the first time Northern English traditional song has been recorded on these islands.
Website: www.johnnycampbell.co.uk
Patreon: www.patreon.com/johnnycampbell
”Haunting, Evocative & Pure” – Songlines
”A rucksack full of Wonders” – MOJO
”Like a Modern-Day Billy Bragg” – Tradfolk