New Writing North
These are tough times to be a writer, with even seasoned agents finding it harder to sell manuscripts to publishers. In such a climate, working in a creative sector that can often feel lonely and cut off from professional networks, writers need all the support and advice they can get.
In the north-east of England, potential wordsmiths can look to New Writing North.
A community for writers
Established in 1996, NWN has created a sense of a literary community, acting as mentor, enabler and financial support system for the region’s literary talents. The organisation received early impetus from its director Claire Malcolm, formerly the literary manager at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Malcolm set out the founding principles of NWN as structure for establishing connections and opportunities for the region’s writers.
Operating a permanent staff of four from offices in Newcastle, NWN is a overseen by a dozen-strong board of directors composed of writers and figures from local government and business. Over the years, the organisation has developed a steady stream of initiatives to produce successful outcomes for hopeful writers.
One of the services it offers, in conjunction with the nationwide Business Link network, is to equip writers with the tools of best business practice for self-employment, such as keeping tax affairs in good order.
Bursary awards for writers
Every year, New Writing North aims to introduce new writers to the networks they will need to access to further their careers. The annual Northern Writers’ Awards dispenses a bursary of £25,000 – sourced from the Arts Council and private sponsorship – among seven or so writers chosen on merit from applications.
There are no preconceptions about the kind of work submitted, other than it should have obvious commercial promise. Work is judged by established writers who initially see only the submitted manuscripts, not the personal data.
These awards are intended to enable their recipients to take time out of the day-job in order to develop their own projects. It also offers mentoring, in a variety of literary genres, from creative non-fiction to novels and poetry.
Access to the publishing industry
One of the key elements for awardees is the ‘advocacy’, where the NWN sets up conversations with agents and publishers. This provides unpublished writers with a level of access that is notoriously difficult to achieve alone.
In July 2009, NWN took eleven Northern Writers’ Awards winners to London, to meet other writers, editors and publishers from the centre of the publishing industry. Some of the writers found immediate representation from literary agents, while others are still in talks.
According to NWN marketing officer Olivia Mantle, the numbers of applicants for the writers’ awards are steadily growing, as more would-be authors become aware of their existence. Of those who have received a writers’ award, 75 percent have become published authors.
Join the writing community
NWN is always seeking new writing and running writing events. One recent example is Surreptitious Stories, where applicants submitted short stories to be performed by theatre actors in surprising locations. Read Regional involves promotional events for works by regional authors, such as library readings and reading groups.
To keep up-to-date with the latest news, aspiring writers in the north-east should subscribe to NWN’s email newsletter.
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