Michelle creates Stofan | A Public Living Room

Michelle Spinei will open her personal version of Stofan on the 26th of October. She is a writer and is seeking to create a space that invites users to sit next to each other and practice their creative writing. We asked her a few questions.

Which spot did you choose for your Stofa? 

I chose the handicraft corner on the second floor because it's cozy and tucked away while still feeling open and accessible. Writing isn't all that different from knitting or crocheting, instead of one stitch at a time, you work one word at a time until you've completed your project.

What will you place in it? 

I'll have a long table with chairs as the focal point and an area with comfortable armchairs. There will be pillows, rugs, and plants to make it inviting and writing reference books available for inspiration. There will be a board where people can share writing tips, advice, and prompts and most importantly, we will have coffee and tea available at the writing sprints to help fuel our work!

What kind of feeling would you like to give users?

I want participants to feel inspired and energized to write. The space works in two ways—it's designed so that anyone can drop in throughout the week to write, and then there are scheduled writing sprints for those who want to work alongside others. So in this sense, it's designed for both social writers and solitary writers. 

It's such a simple thing, but I find that the accountability that comes from writing with others can be so motivating. And it doesn't matter what language you're writing in, or what kind of writing you do. I hope that anyone who enjoys writing will feel like this space is for them.

Who would you like to invite to start a conversation with?

I would like to invite writers of all kinds to start a conversation, whether someone is just getting started or a published author, and writers from all genres. Poets, novelists, screenwriters, students working on their thesis—anyone who writes is welcome.

Do you have an inspiration, a place that you relate to your Stofan? 

When I studied in Paris, I loved going to the libraries because they had these ornate rooms with rows of long tables that were so inviting to sit and work. I wanted to recreate a space that invites you to settle in and work on your project. Also, last year I took part in online writing sprints and enjoyed the community that came from working alongside other writers. The inspiration for this Stofan was to take the camaraderie of the online writing experience and bring it into the community.

Below you find Michelle´s book recommendation for creative writing.

Further information on the project Stofan | A Public Living Room can be found here.