Sittingbourne Steam Railway (Previously Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway) have appointed a new Writer-in-Residence, Dan Thompson.

The railway is known as ‘The Paper Railway’ as it was built 120 years ago to serve two paper mills.

The railway is now set to be at the centre of a new set of stories.

The Medway & Swale-based Creative People & Places project, Ideas Test, has worked with the railway to create this resident role.

Dan will be working at the railway over the next year, creating works to be seen around the site and creating a pamphlet of collected works in 2026.

He will be on site regularly and will soon announce special Writer-in-Residence events in August and September.

Further information on these events can be found here.

“I’m fascinated by this corner of Kent, where a quirky railway brings so many different people together, and I look forward to exploring the landscape, the papermaking industry, and the railway heritage.”

Dan Thompson