National Centre for Writing newsletters

 Here are the latest newsletters for my followers to peruse:

How to balance story and plot with Ashley Hickson-Lovence         An evening with Michael Pedersen & Omar Musa Join us at Dragon Hall for the dazzling double launch of Boy Friends and Killernova   Prize-winning writers Michael Pedersen (Scotland) and Omar Musa (Australia/Malaysia) join forces to present their hotly anticipated new books.   Pedersen’s poetic memoir Boy Friends is one of the most anticipated publications of the year; an intimate and original memoir of love, grief and male friendship by one of Scotland's brightest young talents. Jackie Kay called it 'lucid, lyrical, loaded . . . A love letter to friendship.'   Omar Musa’s acclaimed collection of poetry and woodcut prints, Killernova, was a bestseller in Australia. Relentlessly on beat, visually captivating and deceptively intimate, this is a collection of words and art that burns blindingly bright.   In partnership with Norwich Arts Centre   Wednesday 3 August, 6.30pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, pay what you can     Podcast: How to balance story and plot   In this episode of The Writing Life we speak to novelist, teacher and doctor of letters, Ashley Hickson-Lovence to explore story and plot.   Ashley is the author of The 392 and the prize-nominated novel Your Show (which he talks about in our chat). We also discuss the difference between story and plot, key plot devices and how you can ensure your story has a plot that keeps people turning pages.   Ashley is also the tutor for our Start Writing Fiction online creative writing course.       Get six months of mentoring and access to industry events with an NCW Emerging Translator Mentorship Languages announced for the 2022-23 programme   Our translation mentoring programme aims to develop new cohorts of literary translators into English, particularly for languages whose literature is currently under-represented in English translation. It is open to translators who have published no more than one full-length work of translation in English.   Selected translators will be matched with experienced translators for a six-month period of mentoring. They will also receive a £500 bursary and access to a dedicated week of training and talks, UK industry events such as International Translation Day and London Book Fair, and a digital showcase.   The deadline for applications is 11.59pm BST on Wednesday 31 August 2022.     With thanks to our funders     Apply for the Escalator Talent Development Programme Open to unpublished fiction writers in the East of England   NCW is on the hunt for emerging fiction writers (novel or short story) based in the East of England to take part in our talent development scheme. If you feel your voice is under-represented and would benefit from a structured period of support, then we want to hear from you!   Successful writers will be offered one-to-one mentoring, a day-long writers' retreat, workshops and development sessions, and a showcase event with industry professionals.   This year we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse writers and LGBTQI+ writers.   Thinking of applying? Join us at one of our free Roadshow events to find out more: Online Roadshow with Michael Donkor, Sat 30 July, 10am-12noon Great Yarmouth Roadshow with Kate Worsley, Sat 13 August, 1-3pm Peterborough Roadshow with Yvvette Edwards, Sat 3 September, 2-4pm   The deadline for applications is 10am on Monday 19 September 2022.     Escalator is generously funded by Arts Council England, Amazon Literary Partnership, and donors of the 'Escalator needs your help' campaign   Coming up at National Centre for Writing   NCW Book Club: Heaven by Mieko Kawakami Wed 27 July (National Centre for Writing) or Fri 29 July (online), pay what you can Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022, this sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying was described by Cosmopolitan as ‘a sucker-punch of a story that implores you to question even your own morality.’ Read more →   Escalator Roadshow with Michael Donkor Sat 30 July, 10am-12noon, online, free Are you interested in applying for our talent development programme? At this online event you will have the chance to meet mentor Michael Donkor, the author of Hold, and try your hand at a writing exercise, before asking your questions during our Q&A session with the NCW team.  Book now →   Workshop: Learn to write speculative fiction with Aliya Whiteley Sat 6 August, 10am-12.30pm, online, £45 (£35 conc) Let your imagination take flight in this workshop with multi-talented author Aliya Whiteley. Through writing exercises and group discussions, Aliya will share advice and techniques for how to craft original stories filled with strangeness and charm. Last few places! Book now →   You may also be interested in...   Queer Storytelling Competition Deadline: Sat 30 July In celebration of 50 years of London Pride, London Lit Lab invites you to submit a 250-word flash fiction, memoir or poem that brings to life an LGBTQIA+ person or story from 50+ years ago. Prizes available. Find out more →   The Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards Deadline: 11.59pm, Sun 31 July The Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards celebrate and nurture British writers of colour at the beginnings of their careers. Five winners will receive ten mentoring sessions with an RSL Fellow, as well as two sessions with Awards Ambassador Bernardine Evaristo. Find out more →   The Women Poets’ Prize 2022 Deadline: Fri 12 August A biennial award given to three UK-based women poets who demonstrate great ability and potential. It consists of a cash prize of £1,000 and 18 months of creative, professional and pastoral support. The 2022 judging panel are Penelope Shuttle, Abigail Palmer and Nikita Gill. Find out more →   Donate to the National Centre for Writing   As a UK registered charity, we rely on the generosity of our supporters to make our work possible. Please consider making a donation today to ensure that the writers of tomorrow get the support they need to thrive and tell their story, whatever their background. Find out more   The National Centre for Writing is supported by:   Copyright © 2022 National Centre for Writing, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725 Our mailing address is: National Centre for Writing Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom

‘Here is a book to dance and sing about. An extraordinary, kaleidoscopic dive into language’       MAPS OF OUR SPECTACULAR BODIES BY MADDIE MORTIMER WINS THE 2022 DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE   National Centre for Writing is delighted to announce that Maddie Mortimer’s Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies is the winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2022.   The fiction novel, praised by judges Derek Owusu, Lyndsey Fineran and Symeon Brown as ‘precious and personal’, is chosen as the best first novel across the UK and Ireland this year.   In addition to the £10,000 prize money, Maddie will receive a tailored year-round platform of support and mentorship from NCW, which runs the Desmond Elliott Prize as the flagship prize in its Early Career Awards portfolio.   'With Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies, Maddie Mortimer has penetrated the body and spirit of literature, taking an experience, one familiar to so many of us, and making it completely unique.' – Derek Owusu, Chair of Judges     Explore Maddie Mortimer's 'precious and personal' debut novel   Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies is a story of coming-of-age at the end of a life. Utterly heart-breaking yet darkly funny, Maddie Mortimer’s astonishing debut is a symphonic journey through one woman’s body: a wild and lyrical celebration of desire, forgiveness, and the darkness within us all.   Daisy Johnson called it 'an extraordinary, kaleidoscopic dive into language'.     More from the Early Career Awards   Vida Adamczewski wins the UEA New Forms Award The winner of the 2022 UEA New Forms Award for an innovative and daring new voice in fiction is Vida Adamczewski. Vida’s writing has appeared in Ambit Magazine, Document Journal, The Byline Times, and The Mays. In July 2021, a staged reading of Vida’s lyric play Amphibian was performed at the Playmill New Writers Festival at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington.     Cate West is awarded the Laura Kinsella Fellowship The winner of the 2022 Laura Kinsella Fellowship, which recognises an exceptional writer who has experienced limiting circumstances, is Cate West. Cate trained in Fine Art and graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2019. She was shortlisted for York Festival of Writing’s Friday Night Live and longlisted for Mslexia’s Novel Competition the same year.     The National Centre for Writing is supported by:   Copyright © 2022 National Centre for Writing, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725   Our mailing address is: National Centre for Writing Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom

Ian McEwan in conversation with Sarah Perry         Ian McEwan in conversation with Sarah Perry Our foremost storyteller returns to Norwich UNESCO City of Literature to discuss his ambitious and mesmerising new novel, Lessons   Join us under the magnificent high beams and stained glass of the 15th century St. Andrew's Hall in Norwich for a conversation between Ian McEwan, the critically acclaimed author of Atonement and Enduring Love, and Sarah Perry, the internationally bestselling author of Melmoth and The Essex Serpent.   McEwan’s new novel, Lessons, is a chronicle of our times — a powerful meditation on history and humanity told through the prism of one man’s lifetime.   In partnership with The Book Hive   Thursday 15 September, 6.30pm, St. Andrew's Hall, £10 (£8 conc)       Online workshop: Compelling character relationships with Okechukwu Nzelu   Strongly developed individual characters are important for your story, but it’s the relationships between characters that can bring your themes to life, explore different perspectives, and build an emotional connection with your reader.   In this friendly online workshop led by Okechukwu Nzelu, award-winning author of The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney and Here Again Now, you will:   Learn insights and exercises for creating characters Think about exciting ways for characters to interact Think about how character leads to plot   This workshop will take place online via Zoom.   Sat 9 July, 10am-12.30pm BST, Online (Zoom), £45 (£35 conc), bursary available        Become the writer you want to be with an online tutored creative writing course — on sale now!   Develop a writing routine and gain regular feedback on your work from an experienced tutor with an online creative writing course led by National Centre for Writing and University of East Anglia.   Fully tutored, get one-to-one feedback on your work Learn the foundational skills of writing Build your writing routine Access our courses from anywhere in the world Choose from fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, scriptwriting, memoir and more   Offer: Book your place on a 12-week level one course by 9am BST on 4 July to take advantage of our discounted rate!   All courses begin Monday 19 September     Events coming up at National Centre for Writing   Write Here, Write Now Tue 5 July, 5-7pm, National Centre for Writing, pay what you can Come and write and meet fellow writers in these relaxed sessions at Dragon Hall. We'll meet for two hours, broken down into 30 minutes of quiet writing time followed by 30 minutes chat. Drop in at 5pm or 6pm, stay as long as you like. Book now →   Talking Stories: New Translation from Korea, Switzerland and Vietnam Tue 12 July, 7pm, National Centre for Writing, pay what you can Explore the intricacies of writing and translating in a discussion between our two translators in residence, Clare Richards and Soobin Kim, and three special guests from France, Switzerland and Vietnam — Thuận, Julie Guinard and Nguyễn An Lý. Chaired by Sarah Bower. Book now →   In partnership with Strangers Press and Tilted Axis Press   An evening with the AKO Caine Prize 2022 shortlist Thu 14 July, 7pm, National Centre for Writing, free Join us for an evening with the AKO Caine Prize 2022 shortlisted writers, celebrating the ‘vibrancy, variety and splendour of creative talent among writers of African descent’. You will have the opportunity to hear from and meet Joshua Chizoma, Nana-Ama Danquah, Hannah Giorgis, Idza Luhumyo and Billie McTernan, as they discuss their inspiration and work in conversation with Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. Book now →   In partnership with University of East Anglia   Guided Tour of Dragon Hall Mon 18 July, 2pm, National Centre for Writing, free (donation welcome) Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a full guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Book now →     Just announced: Michael Pedersen & Omar Musa   Prize-winning writers Michael Pedersen (Scotland) and Omar Musa (Australia/Malaysia) join forces to present their hotly-anticipated new books. Pedersen’s poetic memoir Boy Friends has been flagged as perhaps the most anticipated publication of the year, and Omar Musa’s acclaimed collection Killernova was described by Tash Aw as 'a dazzling fireworks display, endlessly surprising and beautiful'.   Wed 3 August, 6.30pm, National Centre for Writing, pay what you can       Norwich UNESCO City of Literature Spotlight: Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2022   Noirwich Crime Writing Festival returns from 8-10 September, with a special line-up featuring national bestsellers and UEA graduates, for a hybrid in-person and online offering at the University of East Anglia.   The star cast of crime writers includes Charlie Higson, Yelena Moskovich, Vaseem Khan and Bella Mackie, and panels celebrating cosy crime, the contemporary revenge thriller and killer debuts, with cutting-edge writing from across the genre.   UEA will be taking the lead on Noirwich festival programming and production from 2022, having previously worked in conjunction with National Centre for Writing from 2015-2021.   Find out more here →     You may also be interested in...   Two month residency in Prague UNESCO City of Literature Deadline: 12 pm CET, Wed 31 August Prague UNESCO City of Literature is offering two-month residency stays for six foreign writers and translators. The opportunity includes travel, accommodation and a stipend of CZK 15,000 (approx. 600 euro) per month. Find out more →   Donate to the National Centre for Writing   As a UK registered charity, we rely on the generosity of our supporters to make our work possible. Please consider making a donation today to ensure that the writers of tomorrow get the support they need to thrive and tell their story, whatever their background. Find out more   The National Centre for Writing is supported by:   Copyright © 2022 National Centre for Writing, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725 Our mailing address is: National Centre for Writing Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom

Choose your Start Writing course, book and get 10% off.     Become the writer you want to be!   Take a beginners course Choose the right genre for you Get 1-2-1 tutor feedback Learn the foundational skills of writing Build your writing routine Access our courses from anywhere in the world!   Build a routine Develop a writing routine and gain regular feedback on your work from an experienced tutor with an online creative writing course.   Get 1-2-1 feedback You will have 1-2-1 feedback from your tutor and fellow students.   Access anywhere Our courses can be accessed from anywhere in the world, at any time. They include exercises, interactive Zoom sessions, hand-picked resources and regular tutor feedback, and you’ll share the experience with a small group of fellow students.   In partnership with the UEA Our online creative writing courses are designed in partnership with the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at UEA.   Click on a course from the list below to find out more about its content - including more about the tutors.   Get 10% off when you book before Monday 4 July!   Book your place on a Start Writing course by 9am BST on 4 July to take advantage of our discounted rate.     Choose a beginners course to find out more:   Fiction Scriptwriting Creative Non-Fiction Historical Fiction Poetry Memoir Crime Fiction   Find out more about...   How our courses work — Duration, format, modules, feedback and discussions.   Who are the tutors — Find out about our course tutors on the individual course pages — just choose a genre.   What people think of our courses   'I’ve taken away a much greater confidence in my creative work, an ability to be much more flexible but also decisive with my writing ideas and have learned many new writing techniques and ways of working.'     Next Steps courses available now!   Have you already done a beginners course or feel you're ready to level-up your existing skills?   We are delighted to announce the addition of three brand new Next Steps courses: Crime, Non-Fiction and Historical Fiction.   We have also reviewed, refined and refreshed Poetry Next Steps and Fiction Next Steps for this September 2022 term.   Explore our Next Steps courses here: Poetry Fiction Crime Creative Non-Fiction Historical Fiction.   Copyright © 2022 National Centre for Writing, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725   Our mailing address is: National Centre for Writing Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom

Join us for sessions in poetry, food and travel writing, speculative fiction and more       Explore our new summer season of writing workshops 🌼   Hello, we're delighted to announce our new season of summer workshops are now on sale! Each friendly session is designed to challenge and support you and equip you with the skills to continue on your writing journey – whatever your level of experience. Join us online from the comfort of home or attend a special in-person workshop at beautiful Dragon Hall in Norwich. Bursary places are available for all of our workshops.   How to write about food and place with Nina Mingya Powles Friday 1 July, 2-4.30pm BST, Online (Zoom), £45 (£35 conc) Discover the powerful ways food and place can situate your story and connect with your reader in creative non-fiction writing. Through group discussion and short written exercises, Nina will help you to make the most of these emotive, evocative aspects of writing and apply them to your own non-fiction.     Create compelling character relationships with Okechukwu Nzelu Saturday 9 July, 10am-12.30pm BST, Online (Zoom), £45 (£35 conc) Individual characters are important for your story, but it’s the relationships between them that can bring your themes to life. In this friendly workshop, award-winning novelist Okechukwu will help you to craft compelling character relationships in your fiction writing.     Tell your story through poetry with Nadine Aisha Jassat Saturday 23 July, 10am-12.30pm BST, Online (Zoom), £45 (£35 conc) Discover how to tell your story through the power of poetry in this friendly online workshop. Nadine will guide you through a series of exercises and discussions designed to help you bring your experience, history and unique perspective to the page.     Learn to write speculative fiction with Aliya Whiteley Saturday 6 August, 10am-12.30pm BST, Online (Zoom), £45 (£35 conc) Let your imagination take flight and learn how to craft original stories filled with strangeness and charm. Whether you’re a seasoned sci-fi writer, or simply looking to try this exciting genre for the first time, this workshop will open new avenues to explore in your writing.     Travel Writing 101 with Tharik Hussain Saturday 20 August, 10am-1pm, National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, £45 (£35 conc) Have you ever wanted to write about your travels, but not been sure where to begin? Learn the tricks of the travel writing trade from bestselling travel writer, author and journalist, Tharik Hussain. Light refreshments will be provided.   Please note: this workshop will take place in-person at National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, in Norwich.       See our full programme of workshops and events →   Share with a friend:     The National Centre for Writing is supported by:     Copyright © 2022 National Centre for Writing, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725   Our mailing address is: National Centre for Writing Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom