Writers' Centre Norwich newsletter

Just received the latest Writers' Centre Norwich newsletter that I thought my followers would be interested in seeing:

Writers depart for Norwich City of Literature

Worlds Literature Festival is next week and it's not too late to get involved. If you didn't already know, the festival brings the best writing talent from across the globe to Norwich, City of Literature, for a week of private salons and public events.  You can get involved by following the conversations and provocations on Twitter and via podcasts, and of course you can enjoy some big events with JM Coetzee and John Carey at the Norwich Playhouse, and more intimate readings with our Worlds writers at the Norwich Cathedral Hostry. Now, where to begin?

Indulge in a Week of Literature  During the week of Worlds, there are three places you need to find yourself in: The Playhouse Welcomes Coetzee & Carey The first is the Norwich Playhouse. John Carey will be talking to DJ Taylor about his latest book The Unexpected Professor, as well as relaying stories about some of the greatest writers of the 20th century. And then there's the return of JM Coetzee, who will be reading alongside some serious international talent in Xiaolu Guo (A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers), Julia Franck (The Blind Side of the Heart) and Ivan Vladislavic (Double Negative). Worlds Festival Reads Our second & third venues - The Norwich Cathedral Hostry and King's Centre - will help us celebrate great writing by bringing together the Worlds writers for a series of readings. These are a great way of discovering work you might not ordinarily come across. For just £2 per event, these are a real steal. Tuesday 17th June: Louise Doughty, C.J. Driver, Lian Yang, Akhil Sharma, SB Veda and Kerry Young. Hosted by Chris Gribble, WCN Chief Executive. Further information & booking. Wednesday 18th June: NoViolet Bulawayo, Dan Burt, Adam Foulds, Hanne Ørstavik and Denise Riley. Hosted by Andrew Cowen, UEA Director of Creative Writing. Further information & booking. Thursday 19th June: Bernice Chauly, Kendel Hippolyte, Oonya Kempadoo, David Morley, Togara Muzanenhamo and Sharlene Teo. Hosted by Jonathan Morley, WCN Programme Director. Further information & booking. Friday 20th June: Kathryn Heyman, Masatsugu Ono, James Scudamore, Owen Sheers and Wojciech Tochman. Hosted by Katy Carr, WCN Communications Director. Further information & booking. Twittering, podcasting, blogging & more If you can't make it to any of our events, or you want to get a taste of the conversation during the private Salons, make sure to follow @WritersCentre on Twitter and use the #Worlds14 hashtag. We're also aiming to podcast the provocations throughout the week and post in-depth blogs a little later on. And do keep an eye on our YouTube and Flickr pages for videos and photos.     Ness and Gray in June & July Patrick Ness is coming to the Norwich Playhouse this June (24th) thanks to a collaboration between WCN and Fly Festival. He'll be talking to Daniel Hahn about the role books played in his adolescence, his belief that teenagers are totally undervalued these days, and his drive as a writer. Further information & booking Enjoy a good rousing debate? Scottish writer and artist Alasdair Gray, author of the excellent Lanark, is coming to Norwich to discuss Scottish independence and the arts. He'll be reading from Independence, written in support of home rule for Scotland, and will be joined by esteemed panelists. Further information & booking Worlds Events   The Unexpected Professor: John Carey in conversation with DJ Taylor   An Evening with JM Coetzee, Xiaolu Guo, Julia Franck and Ivan Vladislavić   Worlds Festival Reads at The Hostry & King's Centre   A City of Stories with Patrick Ness   Independence: An Evening With Alasdair Gray   Your Reading Adventure Starts Here

Looking for an amazing read? We have eight of them! Summer Reads is full steam ahead and we're already getting great feedback from readers nationwide. Go and peruse our selection over at www.summerreads.org.uk. The books get even better when you consider everything else on offer, from author/translator events with Evie Wyld and William Letford, to Confident Reader Workshops and those ever popular book quizzes! Get the full schedule on the Summer Reads event page.

 

 

IdeasTap Inspires: Writers’ Centre Norwich Writing Competition  Huge congratulations go to our shortlisted writers. Just over 70 of you will be taking part in Masterclasses in Bristol, Manchester, Norwich and London led by writers such as Ross Raisin and Emma Jane Unsworth. In August we will select ten winners who will receive six months of mentoring from writers Daniel Hahn, Kerry Hudson, Alex Preston and Nicola Upson, be given vital industry advice, attend a bespoke writing retreat and be introduced to agents and publishers. Good luck!

 

 

The East Anglian Book Awards is Open for Entries Are you a writer living in East Anglia, or is your writing set in the region? Or are you a publisher with a talented East Anglian author on your books, or a text based in the area? WCN has once again teamed up with the Eastern Daily Press and Jarrold, with the support of the UEA, to present these awards, where a winning book will receive the £1000 top prize! Find out more.

 

 

Upcoming Workshops Poetry Environments with David Morley Saturday 21st June, Writers’ Centre Norwich & Norwich Cathedral, 10am-4pm, £60/£50 conc Join leading poet David Morley in the stunning grounds of Norwich Cathedral for a poetry workshop with a difference. Further information The Art of the Short Story with Philip Langeskov Saturday 5th July, Writers’ Centre Norwich, 10am-4pm, £60/£50 conc Refine your short story writing with this workshop from UEA tutor and Lighthouse fiction editor Philip Langeskov. Further information Voice & Other Places: Poetry Weekend with George Szirtes Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th July, Writers’ Centre Norwich, 10am-4pm each day, £120/£100 conc Enjoy a weekend devoted to the craft of poetry under the tutelage of internationally renowned poet George Szirtes. Further information

 

 

Other News Last-minute Ticket Offer: TLC Literary Conference 13th-15th June 2014 TLC's third annual Conference for writers takes place this weekend across three days featuring talks and panels by 30+ industry specialists, plus a bonus day with workshops, a Writers' Fair, and live agent pitching. Get 25% off Conference Passes available using the code Partner25 and a limited number of Sunday-only tickets (£45) using the code TLCBonusDay. For more information and tickets, please visit the Conference website. Can't catch Masatsugu Ono at Worlds Literature Festival? He'll be at The London Review Bookshop on 13 June with Tash Aw: http://lrb.me/ono13june The Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2014 is open for entries. Three categories – Poetry, Fiction and Life Writing. £300 for winning entries and publication in the magazine. Closing date 25 July 2014. http://www.wasafiri.org/wasafiri-new-writing-prize.asp The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award, an annual celebration of outstanding international poetry and short fiction, is open for entries. London’s writer development agency Spread The Word have announced their inaugural London Short Story Festival. The festival will include talks, workshops and master classes, Q&A’s and readings from some of the world’s finest short story authors.