Welcome to Lapidus International
The Words and Writing For Wellbeing Community
Lapidus International is a membership organisation open to everyone with an interest in words for wellbeing.
We support and champion words and writing for wellbeing through development opportunities, exclusive member events, access to the latest research, and more.
We offer a supportive network to enhance both personal and professional wellbeing practice.
What Is Words and Writing For Wellbeing?
Words and writing for wellbeing is the use of words to explore thoughts, express emotions, and support personal growth. It’s not about perfect grammar or literary skill, it’s about connecting with yourself through journalling, poetry, storytelling, or reflective writing. Whether used in a group setting or privately, writing can be a powerful tool to process experiences, build resilience, and find clarity.
At Lapidus, we celebrate writing in all its forms as a gentle, creative way to nurture emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. Find out more in our handy guide to writing for wellbeing.
Upcoming Events
Reflecting on Research with Mel Perry and Victoria Field
This session is for all Lapidus members, whether or not you consider yourself to be a ‘researcher.’ All of us in our everyday lives ask questions and evaluate evidence informally, and if we are working with words for wellbeing, in a more structured way as well. Mel Perry, Chair Lapidus, and Victoria Field will offer creative ways of reflecting on the place of research in our lives. We will then use breakout rooms giving a chance to get know fellow members, our work and our practical and theoretical approaches to research. Mel and Vicky will also talk about the forthcoming 3rd European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference taking place in Canterbury this year.
About the presenters
Victoria Field is a writer, researcher and poetry therapist based in Canterbury. She has published poetry, fiction, memoir, prize-winning translation, and has had two plays professionally produced. She is a sessional academic at Canterbury Christ Church University where her doctoral studies examined narratives of transformation in pilgrimage.
Mel Perry is a poet, spoken word performer and therapeutic writing facilitator from Wales. Her third poetry collection, Mineral Wealth, explores the influence of her maternal grandmother and will be published by Broken Sleep Books in 2026. She is Chair of Lapidus International, the UK words and writing for wellbeing organisation, and co-director of write4word CIC.
Joining the event
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85868670120
Meeting ID: 858 6867 0120
Please note that this event will be recorded. The recording will be available for a limited time after the live event. Please allow a couple of working days for us to process and upload the recording after the live event.
For questions before or after the day of the event, please contact Flo on membership@lapidus.org.uk (responses on Tuesdays and Fridays). For queries on the day of the event, please contact mel@write4word.org.
About the Lapidus Living Research Community
The Lapidus Living Research Community (LLRC) meets on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom to discuss all things research, with a focus on qualitative arts-based research practices, theory and methods.
All Lapidus members are welcome, regardless of research experience. LLRC events are free and no tickets are required. Use the Zoom link above to access the event.
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” Aldous Huxley
Writing Coffee and Conversation—a welcoming event for anyone interested in self-reflective writing, journaling, poetry and creativity in all its forms.
Our focus is on self-discovery and self-improvement.
We meet at selected bespoke cafés and places of interest across London, using these inspiring venues as a jumping-off point for our writing.
We will meet at Tate Britain in May and write in response to selected paintings from 1500’s – 1800’s. The Tate Britain is the national gallery of British and International modern art. The main British collection spanning The Renaissance age through to the present day remains at the Millbank.
You don’t need to worry about spelling, grammar, style, or having any background in expressive writing. Just bring your curiosity and willingness to connect, reflect and experiment with words in a friendly and supportive environment.
About the Facilitator:
Charmaine Pollard is an experienced Certified Poetry Therapist, Counsellor and Coach with a passion for leading writing for wellbeing workshops with a particular focus on confidence and resilience. Her fusion of contemporary coaching with poetry therapy techniques have helped people from all walks of life, find self- compassion, contentment and success.
She is author of Writing for Resilience, a workbook designed to improve your resilience and well-being through poetry and expressive writing.
“In a dark time, the eye begins to see …” Theodore Roethke
Let this poem be a hand upon your shoulder, consists of workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.
The theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.
The workshops will take place online, in a closed group on Zoom.
We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.
The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.
No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.
Charmaine Pollard is an experienced Certified Poetry Therapist, Counsellor and Coach with a passion for leading writing for wellbeing workshops with a particular focus on confidence and resilience. Her fusion of contemporary coaching with poetry therapy techniques have helped people from all walks of life, find self- compassion, contentment and success.
Charmaine Pollard has written an inspirational work book Writing for Resilience. You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0942FWMN8
With the moors as our backdrop and Kate Bush’s inspired lyrics as muse, we’ll be exploring the raw terrain of this complex psychological novel. How did this romance, this love transform into a study of emotional captivity and generational trauma?!
Join us as we explore the mystery of love, all that it is and is not, and everything in-between in this workshop merging extract and lyric ✨
🗓️ Saturday 28 March
⏳ ~ 2 hours : 4am EST/ 11am GMT
🎟️ €/£ 28 for LAPIDUS communituy
DM or email wearebibliomuses@gmail.com to save your spot, see you there!
A journey to explore the muse within and how to embolden ourselves through recognition.
This initiation is for anyone seeking to re-spark that inner Muse, that inner knowing that creativity, imagination and intuitive knowing is at the core of everything we do in our daily lives.
This journey is an invitation to be creative, be open and be curiously intentional daily. Through excerpts, poems, story and prompt we will allow you to focus on 1 Muse everyday: noticing how she turns up, what she whispers and how she affects you and perhaps even your mood and choices. In this journey, we ask you to ponder how the Muse is not something external but truly internal.
She is You.
This will be a shared solitary journey, as we’ll have:
– a WhatsApp group to send you brief details and prompts of the day, and allow you to share anything you find relevant with fellow participants!
daily emails in which you’ll find out more about the Muse, a playlist to accompany you, and much more!
– 2 LIVE sessions – to introduce this journey and to close it at 4pm GMT
– 1-1 session with us (1 hour)
– 1 lucky participant will win our flower essence, “The Living Myth”, created in collaboration with The Spiral Path
*This is only the beginning! First Whisper is part of a longer journey we will hold at the end of the year!*
We’ve decided to offer an energy exchange
of your choice for this 10-day journey, we appreciate anything between €50-80 Euros.
You can always mail us for details or DM us at @Bibliomuses!
An invitation to writers of all levels (beginners are as welcome as the more experienced) — to loosen the ligaments, put perfection aside, and write for the quiet joy of discovery; to share a space where words unfold boldly, imperfectly, and in response to curiosity.
Rooted in the ethos of the London Literary Salon — where close reading and conversation open pathways to deeper understanding — this writing series, facilitated by Alison Cable, extends the same spirit of inquiry into creative practice. An invitation to explore writing as a way of thinking, feeling, and knowing.
Each block of three months offers a gentle rhythm of practice: a facilitated Anchor Session followed later in the month by a companion Open Writing Session, where you can return to your work, deepen the ideas sparked in the workshop, and write alongside others in quiet company.
How it works
Anchor Session (first Tuesday of each month, 5.00-7.00 pm, UK time):
A guided workshop exploring a theme, text, or prompt through discussion, short exercises and optional sharing. These sessions provide inspiration and direction for your writing practice.
Open Writing Session (third Tuesday of each month, 5:00–6:30 pm, UK time):
A lightly held, communal writing space in which you can develop your ideas, try new forms, or simply write in the company of others. Optional check-in and sharing at the end.
Block Pass: £105 for three months (includes three Anchor Sessions and three companion Open Writing Sessions). This block encourages continuity and engagement, with sessions scheduled monthly to help you build a routine.
Join Lapidus International...
…from as little as £3.50 per month.
As a Lapidus Member, you are part of a supportive, international community who believe in the power of using words to enhance and transform.
You’ll receive a monthly newsletter, get discounts on events and training, have access to our online library of Lapidus journals and more. All for as little as £3.50 per month!
Lapidus News
Our vision
In these times of global upheaval, where words can be debased, Lapidus International will not compromise.
We know that writing endures as a way to express suffering and joy, healing and belonging in the intersection of personal circumstances and social conditions.
Through practice, research, publishing, and partnerships, we recognise words and writing as an accessible force for wellbeing, activism and therapy.
Our membership reflects the voices of all communities, including those who have been discounted, prohibited, displaced and under-served.