This week our #MadeInSandwell Monday star is Wednesbury high street. But this time it’s not us telling you why it’s special – High Street Tales wants you to tell the world.

Creative writing development agency Writing West Midlands is looking for someone with a strong connection with the area to write a short story about Wednesbury town centre, specifically the high street and the area around the market place and clock tower. The story should be inspiring, thought provoking, fresh and entertaining – capturing Wednesbury’s untold stories and helping people reconnect with their local high street.

The story is one of seven High Street Tales being commissioned about towns across England, part of the cultural programme of the High Street Heritage Action Zones (HAZ) project run by Historic England. Every high street in England, whether it’s in a medieval market town or a post-war city centre, has a unique and distinctive history that creates identity and a sense of place. The aim of High Street Tales is to create a set of stories that celebrate our local high streets, the people and communities who depend on them.

It’s really important that the chosen writer has a strong connection to Wednesbury and that they want to spend time getting to know the people who use the high street. They should also be socially engaged and experienced at working with local communities and arts and culture organisations.

As well as writing a 3,000-word story, the £3,000 commission fee also includes the delivery of two creative writing workshops, the creation of six images to accompany the story, and participation in a podcast about the project. The finished story will be audio recorded and published as part of the podcast, and featured in an eBook to be made available on the English Heritage website.

So if you’re a writer who loves Wednesbury and wants to uncover and share its fascinating stories, apply via the Writing West Midlands website. You’ll need to outline your idea for the story and your approach to engaging with the community, and upload a creative CV. The deadline for submissions is midday on Thursday 5 November.

We can’t wait to read what you come up with!

#MadeInSandwell Monday is a celebration of the talent and diversity within our borough. If you’re interested in being considered for a #MadeInSandwell Monday profile and having information about your organisation shared on Think Sandwell and through Twitter, read this.