Graduate takes part in prestigious screenwriters’ lab
Primary page content
Recent graduate, Leaf Wang, secured a place on the Women in Film and TV UK Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab.
Leaf Wang (second from left) with the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab cohort. Photo credit: Mary Wycherley
Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab - developing a pitch-ready script
The WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab was a fully-funded week-long programme for thirteen emerging female writers to develop a single script to pitch-ready standard, and to equip them for the next steps in their careers.
It took place in September 2025 at The Hurst in Shropshire, former home of the playwright John Osborne. The residential lab involved workshops, one-on-one tutoring sessions and industry masterclasses. It provides a supportive environment for the next generation of screenwriters to hone their skills, with access to industry-leading professionals.
Talking about her experience of the lab, MA Script Writing graduate Leaf said, “The Lab brought together thirteen women and trans women writers from a wide range of backgrounds and regions for a residency at a beautiful location. We had the chance to meet, share our work, and develop our scripts further under the guidance of two mentors. It was genuinely one of the most formative experiences I've had since arriving in the UK.”
Writing can be a lonely pursuit, and knowing that others are working just as hard on their own stories matters enormously. I learned a great deal from the experience and generosity of the other writers.
Leaf Wang, MA Script Writing graduate
“The most valuable thing for me was gaining a clearer picture of the industry. As a student and a relative newcomer to Britain, I didn't have a very systematic understanding of how the screen industry works, what opportunities exist, and how to actually reach them. Being in a room where everyone was talking about film and television with real practical knowledge felt like a kind of initiation into a more professional world,” she added. “Receiving this recognition has provided a kind of credibility that I've found genuinely useful.”
Leaf is a storyteller working across a range of forms, including theatre, TV, games, and short film. But at the heart of her work is the desire to tell a story. Leaf’s script, titled Sex Robot, is about a sex robot who finds out she has a human son, and sets off on a journey to uncover the truth. It reflects on topical themes around technology, and ideas about maternal instinct. Leaf explains, “My own view is that motherhood has been romanticised and sentimentalised to the point where we rarely question the shape it takes. I wanted to explore what it might look like in the future, and what freedoms women might find, even if those freedoms sit uncomfortably with conventional morality.”
Leaf is undoubtedly a writer to watch, and we are proud to have played a part in her screenwriting journey.
Naz Sadoughi, course convenor, MA Script Writing
Naz Sadoughi, Senior Lecturer and course convenor for MA Script Writing, said: “I was delighted - though not surprised - that Leaf Wang was named as one of the deserving recipients of the Kay Mellor Screenwriting Fellowship. During the Scriptwriting MA, Leaf conceived and wrote the pilot episode of her television drama Sex Robot, a futuristic sci-fi thriller that showcased both her imagination and technical skill.
“Leaf is a confident and compelling storyteller - perceptive, inventive, and rich in original, emotionally resonant ideas, all of which she executes with remarkable precision.”
Screenwriter Lisa Holdsworth (known for ‘Fat Friends’, ‘Call the Midwife’ and ‘Waterloo Road’) and script consultant Marilyn Milgrom (known for ‘Black Mirror’, ‘Suffragette’ and ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’) led the lab, sharing their industry expertise. Agent Christina Pickworth joined as a guest speaker.
The WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab honours the late Kay Mellor OBE, a writer, producer and director who was an advocate for women in the industry.
MA Script Writing at Goldsmiths
Leaf secured her place in the lab based on the script she produced during her postgraduate studies at Goldsmiths.
My time at Goldsmiths is, without question, one of the most important chapters of my creative life. The institution's commitment to diverse voices, to challenging ideas, and to genuine creative freedom gave me the permission and the confidence to write what I actually wanted to write.
Leaf Wang, MA Script Writing graduate
Speaking about Goldsmiths, Leaf said, “It was here that I wrote my first complete, original script from start to finish. My tutors, Naz and Isaac in particular, gave me enormous support and encouragement. Because of them, I came to trust in the power of narrative and to believe that my own voice, my own stories, were worth being heard.”
“I was also deeply shaped by Goldsmiths' spirit of boldness and freedom. I know that film and television are ultimately commercial industries, and so to have had this period of creative freedom at the start of my career feels like a rare and precious thing,” the writer added.