Page to Screen: Kathryn Ferguson, Wendy Erskine & Stacey Gregg

How does a short story journey from page to the screen? How does this journey come about, who’s involved, and how does the process work? 

Wendy Erskine’s short story Nostalgie, from her second collection of short stories Dance Move (The Stinging Fly, 2022) is being made into a short drama - adapted by screenwriter Stacey Gregg, and directed by Kathryn Ferguson. 

This is your chance to hear directly from these three talented creatives about their working processes, as individuals and as collaborators. 

Belfast-born Kathryn Ferguson is an award-winning director and writer. After a decade of focusing on short-form work centred on identity, gender politics and community, her first feature documentary NOTHING COMPARES about musician Sinéad O’Connor premiered at Sundance 2022. The film has won multiple awards including Best Feature Documentary and Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary at BIFA Awards 2022. Kathryn was awarded the BFI & Chanel award for Creative Audacity for a first-time feature director in 2022. Kathryn also works as a commercials and music video director with a range of clients including Nike, Selfridges, Girls Who Code, Amnesty International, Dove and Air France and artists such as Lady Gaga, Neneh Cherry and Villagers. 

Wendy Erskine is the author of two short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move. She was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize, longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award, and she received the Butler Literary Award and the Edge Hill Readers' Choice Award. She edited the art anthology, well I just kind of like it. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she is a frequent broadcaster and interviewer, and works as a secondary school teacher in Belfast. The Benefactors is her debut novel.

Stacey Gregg is a writer, director and performer for stage and screen. They directed on Bad Sisters (Apple), The Baby (Sky/HBO), and wrote and directed feature film Here Before starring Academy Award nominee Andrea Riseborough which premiered at SXSW. In theatre they co-directed Inside Bitch for the Royal Court Theatre, and Clean Break working with women in the criminal justice system, and wrote and performed on Disco Dykes for Outburst Queer Arts Festival. Gregg has written extensively for television, most recently Mary & George. Her plays are published by Nick Hern Books and Bloomsbury, and have toured internationally.