Seeing Jenny work with young women that are disengaging with education and are at risk of exclusion to write their own stories and then have the confidence to perform them in front of a large audience was amazing. The young women wrote from the heart and shared their inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking stories with us. Their sense of achievement was wonderful to see.

Jenny is a fantastic artist to collaborate with, her ideas, enthusiasm and passion are dynamite. Jenny is a true local talent with a real drive to support communities; we love working with her.

Jenny has grasped an understanding of prison life, without ever having lived it, which is incredible.

Jenny is a force of nature for good, small in stature, mighty in effect, she could of almost have been Shakespeare’s muse when he wrote in a Midsummers night dream “Though she be but little she is fierce”

Jenny!!! You are incredible!!! Utterly ‘Fucking’ wonderful! I’m buzzing from that. Your taboo language sessions are groundbreakingly brilliant.

At first when I came across Jen’s work, part of me wondered whether it would be a bit of an easy one for the lads to have time out of their cell. After meeting Jen and seeing the prisoners work, I saw first-hand what an important outlet it was for them. The work was outstanding, and it really seemed to give them an outlet for creative self-expression.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and would definitely attend something with Jenny again. Jenny makes it look easy to create an enthusiastic, nurturing and creative environment in which newbies like me can feel comfortable and confident sharing our poetry! Thanks so much!”

“I have known Jenny for many years. I have admired her work as a poet and her ability to use her skill for the greater good. Specifically, for the disadvantaged, stigmatised and misunderstood. Her passion and enthusiasm is infectious. My organisation specialises in suicide bereavement. We have commissioned Jenny to write poems directly associated with suicide bereavement. She has performed them at our international conference. Last year she hosted a workshop at our conference.  The feedback was excellent. She embraces taboo topics and creates a safe environment for people to learn, but more than that she creates hope for vulnerable people, when often they feel there is none.“

“In Jenny Berry’s Triple C sessions I explored the joy of writing in my Mancunian voice, and created the piece Just Another Manc Melody which has since become one of my most popular pieces. Jenny encourages participants to speak and write in their own voices, and to be proud of who they are.”

“I am the Principal Investigator on an interdisciplinary research project at Manchester Metropolitan University on the topic of complex fertility journeys and employment. We commissioned Jenny as Creative Consultant on the project, leading on the ‘ethnodrama’ element: a scripted dramatization of research data performed for an audience (Saldaña, 2011), designed to vividly and persuasively convey a story.  Jenny worked with us to convert key themes into five different ethnodrama vignettes, including monologue, multi-voice poem, and scripted scenes, which we are using to raise awareness in a range of stakeholder groups. I cannot praise Jenny enough for her patience, professionalism and raw talent. I am recommending her to any fellow academics considering ethnodrama for research dissemination.“

I loved your book ‘The Great Escape’. Honestly, it’s the best poetry I’ve read in ages (bear in mind I read it every day!!!). My year 10 boys will love ‘jail bird’!

Jenny is an incredibly talented wordsmith, who crafts her work so that’s when read at a rapid pace takes you visceral journey that leaves you breathless.

What a fabulous little book filled with fun, sadness, truth, dreams and pure inspiration. I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing Jenny perform and I will definitely be going along again. Fantastic to read, but fantastic to hear from the writer herself.