In Conversation: R.C. Thomas — Giving Plymouth Its Voice

Plymouth’s literary scene has a new champion. Writer, illustrator, musician and creative writing teacher R.C. Thomas has been named Plymouth Laureate of Words 2025–2027 — a role that blends commissions, public events and community engagement in partnership with Literature Works, Plymouth Culture and The Box. 

His appointment marks the start of a two-year journey to inspire new writers, amplify community voices, and bring the city’s stories to life in unexpected ways.

When we met over Zoom, Thomas was warm, reflective, and brimming with ideas. He spoke openly about the moment he received the news, the creative path that led him here, and how he hopes to help Plymouth find — and celebrate — its collective voice.

“There’s prestige to the title and recognition that comes with it,” he says. “As a creative person, it can be really difficult to get your work seen and heard by anyone. So just to have that acknowledgement — that the public want me in the role — it’s a really nice feeling. It’s a validation, a confidence boost. It makes you think, I can do this; I’m on the right trajectory.”

Thomas laughs as he recalls the moment Literature Works phoned to tell him the news.
“I wasn’t ready at all,” he admits. “I’d made this whole plan to keep myself busy for five days so I wouldn’t sit around waiting. Then the phone rang at three o’clock. I didn’t recognise the number and thought, ‘it can’t be them already’. When I heard the words ‘we’re delighted to tell you…’ I knew it was good news. It really did take my breath away.”

Finding the surreal in the everyday

Although Thomas is multi-talented, writing remains his creative anchor. “Music was my first love,” he explains. “Lyrics and vocal melodies were always what drew me in. I started writing words for bands as a teenager, even though I wasn’t a singer. Eventually, I realised I needed somewhere else for those words to live.”

That ‘somewhere’ became poetry. “Originally it was just a jumble of words on a page,” he says. “But when I took an Open University course, it taught me how to form them into poems. Then I transferred to Creative Writing at Plymouth University, started getting work published, and things grew from there.”

His writing, he says, “finds the surreal in the everyday.”
“I tend to take real-life things and let them open out into something unexpected — wildlife, fatherhood, even my experience of brain surgery. It’s never so out of this world that it stops feeling human.”

Alongside his own creative practice, Thomas is increasingly focused on teaching and community engagement — something that lies at the core of his Laureateship. “I’ve been running workshops for all ages,” he says. “Family poetry-and-music sessions, classes at City College, workshops in care homes. I recently ran one for dementia residents, and another for people with brain injuries and neurological conditions. I get a real rush out of bringing out the best in people creatively — especially when someone who’s been quiet suddenly reads this brilliant poem aloud.”

Thomas is passionate about inclusivity, and about making creative writing accessible to those who might not normally encounter it. “I’m really interested in adapting writing and arts to whatever level the participants are at,” he explains. “It’s about finding ways in for people — showing them that creativity belongs to them too. I want to bring that energy into the Laureate role: making writing less intimidating, more playful, more collaborative.”

He’s also keen to reach those who are often left out of the city’s creative conversation. “I want to work with disadvantaged groups — people who might not have easy access to the arts. But also with those already writing in Plymouth’s buzzing literary scene. There are so many talented writers here. I want to help raise their profile, to get their voices heard.”

Thomas’ plans for the Laureateship include projects that expand the definition of writing itself. He’s already discussing ideas with Literature Works and Plymouth Culture that blend writing with music, visual art, and public installations.

“I’m really interested in presenting writing in ways people might not expect,” he says. “Imagine walking past a public installation and thinking, I didn’t know writing could look like this. A lot of people leave school believing creative writing is essays and exams. I want to show that it can be dynamic and alive — that it can live in the street, in song, in performance.”

He hopes that by the end of his term, more people in Plymouth will see writing as something open to them. “I want people to say, Actually, creative writing’s all right. I could do this. Because I think at school, writing can feel like something closed off. I want to show it can be this really interesting, unique world.”

“Plymouth has its own vibe”

Thomas speaks with real affection for Plymouth — not just as his home, but as a creative ecosystem. “It’s hard to put your finger on what makes Plymouth’s writing scene special, but it’s got a vibe,” he says. “That comes partly from geography — we’re down here on the coast, far away from London, Manchester, Brighton. That isolation creates a kind of independence, a DIY energy.”

He sees echoes of this across all art forms. “When I was a musician, I felt it in the music scene too — Plymouth had its own sound. I think the same applies to writing. There’s this mix of influences from the sea, the war history, the architecture — it all adds up to something distinct.”

Community, he says, is the city’s greatest strength. “Most of the writers here know each other, and there’s a really supportive atmosphere. The more we can lift Plymouth’s literary scene out of its bubble and onto the international map, the better. There’s great work happening here — published authors, small presses, spoken word nights — and people just need to know about it.”

A Laureate with a soundtrack

Thomas’ newest platform for those stories is The Laureate of Words Show, a monthly broadcast on FCR Radio. The two-hour show will combine audio submissions from writers of all kinds with live interviews and music. The debut episode, airing on Thursday 30th October, features writer and journalist William Telford, well known for his Literary City column in the Plymouth Herald.

The show, Thomas explains, will also champion music that doesn’t make the cut for mainstream radio. “There are a thousand stations playing the big names. I want to pair independent writing with independent music — sounds and voices people might not have heard before. I love when someone listens and says, I didn’t expect that… but I love it.”

You Can Get involved

Thomas is eager for Plymouth’s community to join him — whether by sending in audio submissions, joining a workshop, or simply picking up a notebook and writing.

“If you’ve never written before, just start,” he says. “Don’t worry about grammar or getting it right. Set a timer for five minutes and write without stopping. Do it every day. Then read everything — poetry, fiction, old and new. That’s how you learn: by writing, reading, and not giving up.”

To get involved with The Laureate of Words Show, check submission details and monthly themes at rcthomasthings.bigcartel.com/fcr.
For workshops, collaborations, or to get in touch directly, email hi@rcthomasthings.com or visit rcthomasthings.com
Listen live to The Laureate of Words Show on FCR Radio, the last Thursday of each month, starting on 30th October (6–8pm) via fcradio.co.uk or any smart speaker.

As our conversation ends, Thomas reflects on what he hopes his legacy might be.

“I’d love people to feel differently about writing — to see it as something they can do. If, at the end of two years, more people in Plymouth are writing, sharing, and celebrating their creativity, then I’ll feel like I’ve helped make a difference.”