Kist Creative

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What exactly is a kist, anyway?

Kist is an old, Scottish word that means 'chest', such as the kind you use to stow tools or other valuables safely. Kist Creative provides you with the necessary tools for directing your untapped potential energy into your writing. By focusing upon a more meditative approach to the writing process, we will help you to build a new 'kit' or 'kist' of knowledge and techniques for you to pull from.

Kist Creative has formulated a uniquely stylised approach to creative writing, using guided meditations and free-write sessions to push aside the hypercritical aspects of our conscious minds, while bringing our more imaginative and uninhibited unconscious minds to the forefront.

Whether you have been writing for years, or have only just decided to reach for a pen, the freeing and relaxed nature of our writing ethos will put you in touch with the feelings and stories that your unconscious minds most want to share.

Learn to write from the very core of your being and you will never look back.

Meet the founder of Kist Creative
Valerie Valente

Valerie Valente is the Founder and Managing Director of Kist Creative, a small, independent Hull agency that aims to bring a distinctive creative writing approach to members of the East Yorkshire community. Kist Creative's very own meditative, free-write process is a therapeutic journey of self-discovery which utilises a textbook written by Valerie Valente exclusively for Kist Creative.

Valerie Valente's first published poetry collection, Flickered in Flame and Salted by the Sea, will be launched in September, 2025. It draws upon themes of mythology and fairytales, creating an ethereal, romantic read, and is accompanied by Valerie's photographs of statuary taken during her various travels. In recent years, Valerie's poems have appeared in publications by The Emma Press and Bluebird Word. She has also done work with The Poetry Performance Company, creating on-the-spot poetry at festivals and events. Valerie graduated from the Open University in 2021 with a Honours degree in Creative Writing and Literature, and is a founding member of the local writing workshop group, All Write Now, alongside Lynda Harrison and Louise Beech.

Valerie immigrated to the UK back in 2006, and soon became a mother. Engaging with her children in nature inspired Valerie to self-publish two children's books under her married name, Valerie L. Pate (The Fox and the Hedgehog is available from Amazon).

At the age of eleven, Valerie typed her very first 'novel' on an old typewriter her father had salvaged. When she showed her writing efforts to her sixth grade English teacher, Valerie was awarded a full scholarship to Writer's & Books Literary Center in her hometown of Rochester, NY. There, she took a one-on-one course on how to prepare a manuscript for publishers, at just thirteen years of age. Valerie regularly contributed to her high school's literary magazine and eventually took every English class her school had on offer. At seventeen, she received an award from her public library for a blind-judged poem entitled 'Night's Eyes'. As an adult in the U.S., Valerie performed at open mic nights and poetry slams around the city, and was also published in several magazines and anthologies during that time.

Valerie is a bibliophile, an enthusiastic traveller, and has a passion for all things autumnal.

She is probably writing a poem right now...

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Join us for the highly anticipated book launch of Valerie Valente's poetry collection, "Flickered in Flame and Salted by the Sea". Our celebration will include an informative author interview, conducted by novelist and playwright, Louise Beech, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Poets from the community will be reading their personal favourites from the collection, and included with every ticket is an entry into our raffle, in which you can win the chance to have Valerie compose an on-the-spot poem on the topic of your choosing in just five minutes. Have Valerie sign your copy of this enchanting, myth and fairytale themed collection, which is built-in to your ticket purchase, and enjoy a splendid afternoon with other literary enthusiasts. Light refreshment will be provided.Read More

Date:09/13/2025 02:00 PM - 09/13/2025 04:00 PM
Location 1-2 Kingston Square, Kingston, Hull, UK (Map)
More Info:Kingston Theatre Hotel

Louise Beech

Author

'Valerie Valente is a beautiful poet and writer who has always been a large part of the creative community in my area, appearing often at open mic events, and contributing to women's voices at WOW. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her, or any of her courses.'

Louise Beech's Author Page

Lynda Harrison

Author/Performer/Actor

'I have the pleasure of working closely with Valerie Valente, running our writing group, All Write Now. Apart from her notable talent for writing sublime poetry and prose, Valerie is skilled in the art of mentoring; she is kind, encouraging, patient and supportive, and I have no hesitation in highly recommending her.'