Podcasts about New Writing North

Fantasy author Sarah Brooks is a writer living in Leeds. She won the Lucy Cavendish Prize in 2019 and a Northern Debut Award from New Writing North in 2021. She works in East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds, where she helps run the Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing. She is co-editor of Samovar, a bilingual online magazine for translated speculative fiction.The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands is her debut novel and has been published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in the UK and Flatiron Books in the US in June 2024.For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscapeIt is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train's secrets.Now, the train is about to embark again, with a new set of passengers. Among them are Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist looking for redemption; and Elena, a beguiling stowaway with a powerful connection to the Wastelands itself. Weiwei knows she should report Elena, but she can't help but be drawn to her. As the girls begin a forbidden friendship, there are warning signs that the rules of the Wastelands are changing and the train might once again be imperiled. Can the passengers trust each other, as the wildness outside threatens to consume them all?https://www.instagram.com/sarah_l_brooksVOX VOMITUS: Sometimes, it's not what goes right in the writing process, it's what goes horribly wrong.Host Jennifer Anne Gordon, award-winning gothic horror novelist and Co-Host Allison Martine, award-winning contemporary romance and speculative fiction novelist have taken on the top and emerging new authors of the day, including Josh Malerman (BIRDBOX, PEARL), Paul Tremblay (THE PALLBEARERS CLUB, SURVIVOR SONG), May Cobb (MY SUMMER DARLINGS, THE HUNTING WIVES), Amanda Jayatissa (MY SWEET GIRL), Carol Goodman (THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU), Meghan Collins (THE FAMILY PLOT), and dozens more in the last year alone. Pantsers, plotters, and those in between have talked everything from the “vomit draft” to the publishing process, dream-cast movies that are already getting made, and celebrated wins as the author-guests continue to shine all over the globe.www.jenniferannegordon.comwww.afictionalhubbard.comhttps://www.facebook.com/VoxVomituspodcasthttps://twitter.com/VoxVomitus#voxvomitus #voxvomituspodcast #authorswhopodcast #authors #authorlife #authorsoninstagram #authorsinterviewingauthors #livevideopodcast #livepodcast #bookstagram #liveauthorinterview #voxvomituslivevideopodcast #Jennifergordon

Creativity through the lens of a professional executive coach and mentor"Creativity is a difficult word to define. It's more about what are you actually trying to achieve." David Roche is a professional coach and mentor working with a select few first-time CEOs across several sectors through his company Grey Area Coaching. He is also non-exec Chair of London Book Fair and Chair of the writing agency New Writing North. Additionally, he works with publishers and start-ups and lectures at the NFTS to their MA Creative Entrepreneurship students. David's second book, Become a Successful First-Time CEO, was published in March 2024 and is an Amazon #1 Bestseller (https://amzn.to/4dDFL55).David has worked in both retail and publishing as CEO of Borders and BOOKS etc, Product Director of both Waterstones and HMV, and Group Sales and Marketing Director of HarperCollins Publishing. He has also been President of the Booksellers Association and received several industry awards; in 2017 David was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire for services to the UK book trade.https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidroche/https://greyareacoaching.co.uk/Send us a text

David Roche is a professional coach and mentor, specializing in guiding first-time CEOs through his company Grey Area Coaching. He serves as non-exec Chair of the London Book Fair and Chair of New Writing North, while also lecturing at NFTS. David's second book, Become a Successful First-Time CEO, became an Amazon #1 Bestseller in March 2024. With a background as CEO of Borders and BOOKS etc., and roles at Waterstones, HMV, and HarperCollins, David has made significant contributions to retail and publishing. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 2017 for his services to the UK book trade.

In this executive episode, David Roche, Founder/Director of Grey Area Coaching Ltd, shares how he helps founders, boards, and CEOs achieve success in succession.You will discover:- Why the CEO role is so different from any other position- How the founder's journey to CEO is different from any other CEO- How to not only select the right success, but help ensure their success
David Roche is a professional executive coach and mentor at Grey Area Coaching and works with first-time CEOs across many sectors. Passionately empowering the first-time CEO in his new book Become a Successful First-Time CEO, David has distilled decades of hands-on business leadership and coaching expertise into an accessible and strategic guide for those looking to thrive in the C-Suite. David is the Chair of the London Book Fair and the writing agency New Writing North. David was previously CEO of Borders & Books, Product Director of Waterstones and HMV, and Group Sales and Marketing Director of HarperCollins Publishing.
Want to learn more about David Roche's work at Grey Area Coaching Ltd? Check out his website at https://greyareacoaching.co.uk/ and get a copy of his book Becoming a First-Time CEO on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Become-Successful-First-Time-CEO-relationships/dp/1781338329Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you're a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you're doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Sana welcomes David Roche, a seasoned professional coach and mentor, to discuss strategies for first-time CEOs to excel in their roles. David, who has a wealth of experience in leadership, publishing, and coaching through his company, Gray Area Coaching, shares insights from his Amazon #1 bestseller Become a Successful First-Time CEO. Topics include mastering corporate success, creating your own luck, building essential relationships, avoiding common CEO pitfalls, and overcoming imposter syndrome. This conversation is packed with actionable advice for executives and leaders aspiring to thrive in their careers.   About the Guest: David Roche is a professional coach and mentor specializing in working with first-time CEOs across multiple sectors. He is the non-executive chair of the London Book Fair and chair of the writing agency New Writing North. With extensive experience in retail and publishing, David has held CEO positions at Borders and Books etc., along with senior roles at Waterstones, HMV, and HarperCollins. His bestselling book, Become a Successful First-Time CEO, focuses on the crucial steps new CEOs must take to succeed. David's unique coaching approach blends practical business strategies with personal development.   Key Takeaways: Creating Your Own Luck: Success in a corporate career often involves stepping beyond your immediate role and proactively addressing challenges faced by senior leaders. Building trust by offering solutions can set you apart. The Importance of Relationships: Networking is critical for CEOs, not only for external partnerships but also for managing internal dynamics with boards, leadership teams, and employees. Effective relationships are foundational to success. Avoiding CEO Pitfalls: New CEOs often falter due to insufficient support or a failure to build the right relationships. Seeking guidance and using an external mentor can help navigate the challenging transition. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Many high-achieving leaders experience self-doubt. Recognizing that it is common and focusing on teamwork, rather than feeling the need to have all the answers, can help overcome these feelings. The Value of Coaching: Just as elite athletes rely on coaches, first-time CEOs benefit greatly from having a mentor or coach to provide outside perspective, encouragement, and guidance.

This podcast loves looking at the positive things going on in our region so in this week's episode Rob Parsons hears about a brilliant project being led in the North of England.  Budding writers and journalists from underrepresented backgrounds could be in with a chance of getting their big break as part of a scheme backed by national treasure Michael Sheen and the Daily Mirror. The ‘A Writing Chance' project aims to give wannabe writers from minority backgrounds a leg-up into the industry, and is co-founded by award-winning actor Michael, the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation and New Writing North. Claire Malcolm, the chief executive of New Writing North, and Katy Shaw, Professor of 21st Century Writing and Publishing at Northumbria University, tell Rob why the scheme is so important. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we speak to novelist and short story writer Eliza Clark about her novel, Penance. We discuss violence and transgression within fiction, and what this can reveal about wider society. We chat about the satirisation of the true crime genre, and the socio-political context which surrounds violent acts. We examine the role of the internet in writing, publishing and how it effects our experiences of our bodies and desires. We discuss the influence of both mainstream and social media in shaping narratives about people and places, as well as aspects of social class and regional inequality between the north-east and London. We chat about what it means to write difficult female characters and the difference between writing first and second novels. Eliza Clark is from Newcastle. In 2018, she received a grant from New Writing North's 'Young Writers Talent Fund'. Her debut novel, Boy Parts, was published by Influx Press in July 2020 and was Blackwell's Fiction Book of the Year. In 2022, Eliza was chosen as a finalist for the Women's Prize Futures Award for writers under thirty-five, and she was selected as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2023. Penance was published by Faber in 2023. References Boy Parts by Eliza Clark Penance by Eliza Clark You can now subscribe to our Patreon for £5 a month, which will enable us to keep bringing you more in-depth conversations with writers. As a subscriber, you will have access to: 10% listener discount on all books at Storysmith, either online or in person Opportunities to submit questions to upcoming guests Free book giveaways each month related to our featured guests Early access to episodes each month Exclusive free tickets each month to live Storysmith events A free Storysmith tote bag after 3 months subscription Please like, rate and subscribe to help promote the podcast and support our work.

Today on Killer Women, our guest is Eliza Clark. A native of Newcastle, Eliza lives in London, where she previously attended Chelsea College of Art. She works in social media marketing and has worked for women's creative writing magazine Mslexia. In 2018, she received a grant from New Writing North's “Young Writers' Talent Fund.” Her short horror fiction has been included in Tales to Terrify, and she hosts the cultural podcast You Just Don't Get It, Do You? with her partner. Boy Parts is her first novel. Killer Women is copyrighted by Authors on the Air Global Radio Network #podcast #author #interview #authors #KillerWomen #KillerWomenPodcast #authorsontheair #podcast #podcaster #killerwomen #killerwomenpodcast #authors #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #authorsontheair #suspensebooks #authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip #writers #writersinspiration #books #bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted #bookaddiction #bibliophile #read #amreading #lovetoread #daniellegirard #daniellegirardbooks #elizaclark #harpercollins

Today on Killer Women, our guest is Eliza Clark. A native of Newcastle, Eliza lives in London, where she previously attended Chelsea College of Art. She works in social media marketing and has worked for women's creative writing magazine Mslexia. In 2018, she received a grant from New Writing North's “Young Writers' Talent Fund.” Her short horror fiction has been included in Tales to Terrify, and she hosts the cultural podcast You Just Don't Get It, Do You? with her partner. Boy Parts is her first novel. Killer Women is copyrighted by Authors on the Air Global Radio Network #podcast #author #interview #authors #KillerWomen #KillerWomenPodcast #authorsontheair #podcast #podcaster #killerwomen #killerwomenpodcast #authors #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #authorsontheair #suspensebooks #authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip #writers #writersinspiration #books #bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted #bookaddiction #bibliophile #read #amreading #lovetoread #daniellegirard #daniellegirardbooks #elizaclark #harpercollins

Today on Killer Women, our guest is Eliza Clark. A native of Newcastle, Eliza lives in London, where she previously attended Chelsea College of Art. She works in social media marketing and has worked for women's creative writing magazine Mslexia. In 2018, she received a grant from New Writing North's “Young Writers' Talent Fund.” Her short horror fiction has been included in Tales to Terrify, and she hosts the cultural podcast You Just Don't Get It, Do You? with her partner. Boy Parts is her first novel. Killer Women is copyrighted by Authors on the Air Global Radio Network #podcast #author #interview #authors #KillerWomen #KillerWomenPodcast #authorsontheair #podcast #podcaster #killerwomen #killerwomenpodcast #authors #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #authorsontheair #suspensebooks #authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip #writers #writersinspiration #books #bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted #bookaddiction #bibliophile #read #amreading #lovetoread #daniellegirard #daniellegirardbooks #elizaclark #harpercollins

In this episode, we are simply delighted to be with our beloved bliss sister and dear friend, Victoria Bennett (Vik) who is a poet, author, creative activist, and Wild Woman. When not juggling writing, full-time care, and genetic illness, she can be found where the wild weeds grow…within ALL MY WILD MOTHERS:  her debut memoir of motherhood, loss and an apothecary garden.Hear the mystic tale of a poet in northern England awakened by Troubadours in the middle of the night.We dance on tables... and answer the call to free the wild woman in us.We find when we are our authentic selves in the world, we can create anything and that's when the magic starts!Find the small thing worth the gift of your hope. And what is courage but hope mixed with love.We plant a herb garden and get more than blooms. We are given myths, healing and wise companions on our journey.We see what can grow in the broken ground of grief and find that life grows not in spite of the broken places, but because of them.Some seeds require disturbance in order to grow. If we try to cut out the things that hurt and that are difficult, then we also cut out all the joy.When we garden wild, we are celebrating a connection, a companionship, an honoring of our place in a vital biodiverse environment.We blow the dandelion with its seeds of wishes out into the world!LIFE arrives, reaching for the light, bathing in tears, reckless and determined to grow wild and lush over what was once barren stone.Her writing spans non-fiction, memoir, poetry and games-based storytelling. It was long listed for the inaugural Nan Shepherd Prize (2019), and the Penguin WriteNow (2020) programme, and was a winner of a Northern Debut Award (2020) for non-fiction from New Writing North, and an early extract won the Mother's Milk Writing Award 2017.Vik founded Wild Women Press in 1999 to support rural women writers in her community and curates the global Wild Woman Web project, an inclusive online space focusing on nature, connection, and creativity. Vik shares, “…stone by stone, seed by seed, life grows not in spite of the broken places, but because of them…”Join us as we look forward to a story of radical hope, to reclaiming our wild spaces and letting the light into those broken places as we transform the rubble into a garden with her!Personal Websitehttps://victoriabennett.meSocial Media link@VikBeeWyld. (twitter)Social Media link@BeeWyld. (instagram)Social Media linkhttps://linktr.ee/beewyld Support the showBECOME A MEMBERhttps://ko-fi.com/caravanoftheheart/tiersYour monthly support helps further this outreach and keeps this Caravan moving to amplify love in all things! LOVE IS SPOKEN HERE

We speak to writer and teacher Okechukwu Nzelu. Why? To discuss that greatest pillar of creative writing - character. Gill and Okechukwu discuss many aspects of character development, including those in his latest novel Here Again Now. Based in Manchecter, Okechukwu Nzelu was the recipient of a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North in 2015. His debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney won a Betty Trask Award. It was also shortlisted for our very own Desmond Elliott Prize among others. In 2021, it was selected for the Kingston University Big Read.  His second novel, Here Again Now was published by Dialogue Books in March 2022. He is also a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University so he is perfectly positioned to help us understand how we can write compelling characters.

Murder, Mystery And Mayhem - Track 1 The Journey by New Writing North

Afshan d'souza-lodhi was born in Dubai and bred in Manchester. She is a writer of scripts and poetry and was recently commissioned to write and direct a short film for Channel 4 (An Act of Terror) and a radio play for BBC Sounds (Chop Chop). Afshan is currently a Sky Writes writer-in-residence for Rotherham, a partnership between Sky Studios and New Writing North. She is also currently developing a TV series with Sky Studios. Afshan has edited many anthologies and has an essay featured in Picador's collection by Muslim women called Its Not About The Burqa. Her debut poetry collection ‘re:desire' (Burning Eye Books) has been longlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2021).Her most recent play,Santi & Naz, described as “tender yet sharply political” by The Guardian, won the Vault Outstanding New Work Award in 2020.

Paul Mendez joins Yvonne Battle Felton in conversation to examine his semi-autobiographical novel Rainbow Milk and the significance of the point of view of the main characters with this work. Point of view includes who the narrator is and how (and when) the story will be told. Mendez explains the decisions he felt he had to make when developing the main characters of Norman and Jesse. Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Carmen Marcus joins Yvonne to explore how she used the technique of rhythm and language in her novel How Saints Die. The story is seen through the eyes of ten year old Ellie and Marcus - both a novelist and a poet - explains how the use of particular words, sounds and silences helps to create a relationship between the reader and character. Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

David Nicholls joins Yvonne to delve into how he used the device of dialogue throughout his novel Sweet Sorrow. Nicholls reveals his thought processes on deciding what he wanted his characters to say, what he didn't want them to say and how that can influence character and setting.Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Alex Wheatle MBE joins Yvonne to discuss the device of tension in his book Cane Warriors. Tension can drive a story, develop character and help to grip the reader's attention - something that Wheatle drew on in telling the story of enslaved boy Noa in the novel. Wheatle explains the decisions he made to guide readers through the narrative and maintain the feeling of suspense and shock. Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Nudibranch is the latest short story collection from Irenosen Okojie and she joins Yvonne to examine her use of description in this work. Irenosen explains how she used description within the different stories and styles in the book to explore character and develop the spaces for the narrative to play out.Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Sarah Moss joins Yvonne to talk about setting within her novel Summerwater. The setting of a novel plays an important role not just in driving the narrative but also in developing the characters. Moss explains how the setting of Summerwater in a Scottish highland holiday park helped to form the basis for the novel.Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Pat Barker CBE is in conversation with Yvonne to explore how she developed the characters in her novel The Silence of the Girls. Complex characters help to engage readers, drive the narrative, and provide moments of empathy for a reader. Barker explains what decisions she made in creating her protagonist Briseis. Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

How to structure a novel is explored by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi with her book The First Woman. She tells Yvonne the decisions she made in creating a foundation for her story and structuring the Ugandan historical background, set across many decades.Write Your Novel is an innovative write-along podcast series - written and devised by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton. A writing exercise at the end of each conversation supports the listener to help them proactively work through the techniques in their own work. A transcript for this episode is available here: https://newwritingnorth.com/projects/write-your-novel/Presenter: Yvonne Battle-FeltonProducer: Candace WilsonMusic: Joe GardnerA Sonderbug Production funded by Arts Council England and supported by New Writing North.

Step behind the scenes of High Street Tales as the eight writers talk about the ideas, people and places that inspired their stories. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales Made in conjunction with New Writing North, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In 'Flying', Maria wanted to capture the Black Country dialect. Growing up in Wednesbury, her character Lily May can only dream of having the confidence her friends all seem to have. On a special day when spirits stir, it's Lily May who discovers a new side to Wednesbury, and herself. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales Made in conjunction with New Writing North and Writing West Midlands, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In 'Under the watchful eyes of seagulls', writing duo Ellie McKinlay-Khojinian and Ligia Macedo explore the seaside town of Great Yarmouth. Here we dip behind the flamboyant arcades and candy-floss colours of the seafront on a visit to King Street, through the eyes of a kindly Portuguese migrant who befriends an elderly resident. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales  Made in conjunction with New Writing North and National Centre for Writing and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In Borrowed Ground, writer Robin Pridy has combined Hastings' familiar sites, sounds and smells with the stories and memories of local people, to turn the town's Trinity Triangle into the backdrop for the fascinating life of her character, Jackie Brigham. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales  Made in conjunction with New Writing North and New Writing South, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's High Street Cultural Programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In All the Secret Postcards, writer and photographer Rod Duncan describes a father reminiscing during a visit from his concerned daughter. Whether remembered or imagined, the past and present of his hometown, Leicester, are brought to life in his memories. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales  Made in conjunction with New Writing North and Writing East Midlands, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's High Street Cultural Programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In her short story In Between Days, poet and novelist Merrie Joy Williams was inspired by the local community, who she spoke to discover this vibrant corner of London. Her story explores the rich history of Woolwich through the eyes of its teenage resident, Karim. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales  Made in conjunction with New Writing North and Spread the Word, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social @HistoricEngland, using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In The Women of Number 11, writer and poet Rebecca Tantony used online conversations, socially-distanced conversations as well as the sights and sounds of Weston-super-Mare to conjure the lives of the women across the ages. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales Made in conjunction with New Writing North and Literature Works, and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland and using the hashtag #HighStreetTales.

In this episode, the musician and writer Celia Bryce explores North Shields high street in an otherworldly tale which follows a mysterious character on his journey through streets of the past to return a lost shoe to its home. You can download the ebook of all the stories at https://historicengland.org.uk/highstreettales Made in conjunction with New Writing North and the series was produced by Sonderbug Productions with thanks to Darren Hayman for use of his song Pram Town.  High Street Tales is part of Historic England's high street cultural programme; four years of nationwide cultural activity helping to make high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time. The programme is run by Historic England, in partnership with Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Follow us on social using @HistoricEngland and using the hashtag #HighStreetTales to stay up to date with the latest High Street news.

In this episode of Up North Books, we're bringing you something a bit different. This week, in partnership with Durham Book Festival, we were very excited to get the chance to interview Mim Skinner. Mim is the author of Jailbirds, published in 2019 by Seven Dials. Inspired by her work in a women's prison, her memoir gives voice to women's experiences and rewrites the narrative on prison life. We asked Mim about the process of creating this book, as well as her newly commissioned piece with New Writing North, Camaraderie and Chaos. Links to things mentioned: Mim's book Camaraderie and Chaos Citizen Song Writers Durham Book Festival

A special round-table discussion where New Writing North’s Chief Executive, Claire Malcolm talks to writers Lisette Auton, Carmen Marcus and Mim Skinner about the approaches that they took to creating their pieces of work. All three writers chose to collaborate with other creatives and communities to make their work. The podcast explores how they did this and what writing collaboratively with others enables. New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

Welcome to A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham, part of Durham Book Festival, produced by New Writing North.The County and City of Durham have been much written about, being the birthplace, residence, and inspiration for many writers of both fact, fiction, and poetry. Before we delve into stories of scribes, poets, academia, prize-winning authors, political discourse, and folklore passed down through generations, we need to know why the city is here. A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham is written by Ruth Robson and was commissioned as part of Durham Book Festival 2020

"They tell us that we live on a tiny crowded island. They try to tell us that we are tiny within ourselves. Tell them to come up here with the skylark, to forget what they think they know, and to look down upon the vastness of the North." David Almond, from Sing the North. Welcome to our audio series which explores the work created for the New Narratives for the North East project through a series of four podcast episodes. Hear from many of the writers involved in the project about the ideas that inspired their work and also their relationship with the region and regional identity. Through interview and extracts of their work as well as the varied sounds of the North East, many of the themes of the work come to the fore. Here we discuss what makes this part of England distinct and what its future might look like. The characters that emerge are not just those of the writers, but also that of the sea, or the Wall, or indeed the multi-faceted region itself. New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

"They tell us that we live on a tiny crowded island. They try to tell us that we are tiny within ourselves. Tell them to come up here with the skylark, to forget what they think they know, and to look down upon the vastness of the North." David Almond, from Sing the North. Welcome to our audio series which explores the work created for the New Narratives for the North East project through a series of four podcast episodes. Join us in this episode to explore the North-East's distinctive urban spaces and explore how those on the inside read and think about our cities and towns Hear from many of the writers involved in the project about the ideas that inspired their work and also their relationship with the region and regional identity. Through interview and extracts of their work as well as the varied sounds of the North East, many of the themes of the work come to the fore. Here we discuss what makes this part of England distinct and what its future might look like. The characters that emerge are not just those of the writers, but also that of the sea, or the Wall, or indeed the multi-faceted region itself. New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

Welcome to our audio series which explores the work created for the New Narratives for the North East project through a series of four podcast episodes. This episode looks forwards, refiguring the North-East's heritage, opening new ideas and exploring potential future narratives for the region as we look to the future. Hear from many of the writers involved in the project about the ideas that inspired their work and also their relationship with the region and regional identity. Through interview and extracts of their work as well as the varied sounds of the North East, many of the themes of the work come to the fore. Here we discuss what makes this part of England distinct and what its future might look like. The characters that emerge are not just those of the writers, but also that of the sea, or the Wall, or indeed the multi-faceted region itself. New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

Welcome to our audio series which explores the work created for the New Narratives for the North East project through a series of four podcast episodes. Here in this episode we explore the North-East's relationship with its borders, of land and sea, and how being on this edge informs its character, communities and perspectives. Hear from many of the writers involved in the project about the ideas that inspired their work and also their relationship with the region and regional identity. Through interview and extracts of their work as well as the varied sounds of the North East, many of the themes of the work come to the fore. Here we discuss what makes this part of England distinct and what its future might look like. The characters that emerge are not just those of the writers, but also that of the sea, or the Wall, or indeed the multi-faceted region itself. New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

Leading writers Stuart Maconie, Kit de Waal, Tony Walsh and Lisa McInerney consider what it means to be a working-class writer working in the publishing industry today “It’s the last great unspoken prejudice in British life, and that runs through everywhere – particularly some of the areas of the media I work in, like publishing and broadcasting” Stuart Maconie --- The Common People anthology brought together 16 leading working-class writers with 17 new unpublished working-class writers to create a picture of working-class life in Britain today. As part of the opportunity, the 17 new writers were also offered a 12-month professional development programme to support their entry into the publishing industry, working alongside mentors and England’s seven regional literature development agencies, with Unbound and Arts Council England. Now, to coincide with a new report by Professor Katy Shaw of Northumbria University, Common People: Breaking the Class Ceiling in UK Publishing, we are delighted to present this special episode of the New Writing North podcast. This episode brings together several of the established authors who featured in the Common People anthology, including Stuart Maconie, Kit de Waal, Tony Walsh, Lisa McInerney, with writer and academic Dave O’Brien and new writers Jodie Russian-Red and Shaun Wilson. The episode also features Jonathan Paterson, a Finance Director at the Hachette UK Group, and Clara Farmer, Publishing Director of Chatto & Windus. Together they consider the experience of working-class writers and publishers working in the UK, identify some of the pervasive barriers which mean that the publishing industry fails to represent a huge proportion of the British public, and consider what change could look like. Produced by Philippa Geering for New Writing North The Common People Writing Development Programme was produced by literature development agencies New Writing North, Writing West Midlands, New Writing South, National Centre for Writing, Writing East Midlands and Literature Works and Spread the Word with support from Arts Council England.

As the BBC Three hit comedy Man Like Mobeen returns for a third series, its creator and star, Guz Khan, discusses the development of his on screen persona, Mobeen Deen, and why his show has something for everyone. Front Row's Risk Season continues with filmmaker Penny Woolcock and Richard Mantle, General Director of Opera North. Both have faced big creative challenges and join Front Row to discuss how to decide if a risk is worth taking. The Portico Prize, the UK’s biennial award for outstanding literature that best evokes the spirit of the North, is awarded on Thursday 23 January. Portico Prize judge, poet, and novelist Zahid Hussain and Claire Malcolm, founding CEO of the regional writing development agency, New Writing North, discuss what constitutes writing that reflects the North and the hurdles such writing faces. Presenter: Katie Popperwell Producer: Ekene Akalawu

A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck.     Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale.  It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers.    Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline has gone in search of  what it means to live in  England’s last wilderness.  As the series reaches its final episode, she returns home on regular walk up into a former quarry now overgrown with wildflowers, where nature has healed its own ravages, and which has a restorative effect on the walker. As she reflects on the interviews she has undertaken with writers across the series, she also considers the very concept of ‘home’ itself. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape  is commissioned by  Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for  Ten Words  for a Northern Landscape  on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website.  #10wordspodcast

A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In this ninth episode, Caroline considers grouse-shooting, one of the major uses for land in the area - and one which polarises the local community. She meets Dr Mark Avery, an outspoken environmental campaigner, the former director of conservation at Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the author of hard-hitting book about grouse-shooting, Inglorious: Conflict in the Uplands. Local resident Colin Organ, from Rookhope, involved in game sports since childhood, offers an opposing perspective rooted in preserving a rural way of life, while Roisin Beck-Taylor, Caroline’s daughter, who worked on a hill farm for nine years and now works in conservation, discusses the complicated relationship between economy and conservation. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

In the eighth episode - Childhood - Caroline goes on a journey across the uplands, meeting and talking with poets, teachers, writers, illustrators and playwrights. In Wearhead Primary School, she speaks to deputy headteacher Liz Judges about children growing up in Weardale and how living in the countryside affects them. The disparity between schooling and life experience for young people in rural areas compared to bigger cities is explored, and we hear how teenagers kept themselves entertained when there was just ‘one bus going to Newcastle on Saturdays’. With author Sarah Moss, Caroline talks about northern identity, working class masculinity and growing up in rural areas. Critics have called Moss’s latest book, Ghost Wall, ‘a Brexit novel’, about a man enthralled by a lost England. The narrative focuses on Bill, a father keen to implement the social mores and societal rules of a Britain from long ago, and his beloved daughter who is growing into a woman in front of him. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In the seventh episode - Exile - Caroline goes on a journey across the uplands, meeting and talking with Syrian refugees, curators and poets. Caroline talks to the poet Gillian Allnutt about their time at a textiles workshop put on for Syrian refugees. Gillian has been working with refugees and asylum seekers in the North East for years and Caroline visited her making textile butterflies with a group of Syrian refugees who have been settled in County Durham. The collision of home and exile is explored through needlework, talking and singing songs. Caroline also visits the exhibition, Craft and Conflict, curated by Karen Babayan. Award winning ceramicist, Paul Scott’s work is celebrated for capturing the history and mood of Damascus, with the families agreeing that the exhibition has successfully mixed the two cultures together, provoking memory, thought, grief and happiness. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last Wilderness. In the sixth episode, Gypsy, Caroline delves into Weardale’s significant connections with the Gypsy Roma Traveller community. Writer Damian Le Bas, author of The Stopping Places: A Journey Through Gypsy Britain, joins Caroline to offer an insight into the lesser-known history of the Weardale area, particularly in relation to the nearby Appleby Horse Fair. They discuss some of the limited portrayals of Gypsy Roma Traveller community that have been told over the years and open our eyes to the vastness and richness of a hard-working community. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Ten Words for a Northern Landscape: Episode 5: Escape A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between and everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming: the home of day-dreamers, explores, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to leave in England’s last wilderness. In this episode Caroline explores two experiences of the North Pennines as home: considering it as somewhere that people escape from and escape into. Caroline talks to Debbie Loane, an artist who relocated to Weardale as a young woman. Her painting was heavily influenced by the industrial archaeology and natural resources; this landscape remains the focus of her work despite no longer living there. Together they discuss the status of an outsider, and the deep and continuing connection that Debbie formed with the area. Walking across the dale, writer Madeleine Bunting reflects on her childhood in North Yorkshire, and her relationship with her father, the sculptor John Bunting, who installed the family there. Madeleine moved away at sixteen, but returned years later after her father’s death and wrote her memoir The Plot. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

We can’t believe we’ve come to the end of our second series [sad face]... In this extended final episode, Jack and Rachael have fun chatting with guests Daljit Nagra and Nisha Ramayya in the studio and there are audio postcards from Aria Aber and Jericho Brown, as well as poems from our two presenters. Thank you to all our listeners – we hope you've enjoyed our second series. Remember to rate and review us and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss future episodes of the podcast. Show notes  Studio guests DALJIT NAGRA has published four poetry collections with Faber & Faber, including his most recent, British Museum (https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571333745-british-museum.html) . He has won the Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem and Best First Collection, the South Bank Show Decibel Award and the Cholmondeley Award. His books have been nominated for the Costa Prize and twice for the T. S. Eliot Prize, and he has been selected as a New Generation Poet by the Poetry Book Society. He is the inaugural Poet-in-Residence for Radio 4 & 4 Extra, and presents a weekly programme, Poetry Extra (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06qdjcn) , on Radio 4 Extra. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was elected to its Council, and is a trustee of the Arvon Trust. He teaches at Brunel University, London. NISHA RAMAYYA is a poet and lecturer in Creative Writing at Queen Mary University of London. Her book, States of the Body Produced by Love (https://ignota.org/collections/featured/products/states-of-the-body-produced-by-love-by-nisha-ramayya) , is published by Ignota (2019). She has published three pamphlets: Notes on Sanskrit (2015) and Correspondences (2016) with Oystercatcher Press, and In Me The Juncture (https://sadpresspoetry.com/our-books/) (2019) with Sad Press. Threads (https://clinic-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/threads) , a creative-critical pamphlet co-authored with Sandeep Parmar and Bhanu Kapil, is published by clinic. She is a member of the 'Race & Poetry & Poetics in the UK' research group and the interdisciplinary practice-as-research group Generative Constraints. Audio postcards featured in this episode ‘Reading Rilke in Berlin’, written and read by Aria Aber. The poem is taken from Aria Aber’s new book, Hard Damage (https://www.ariaaber.com/hard-damage-1) (University of Nebraska Press, 2019).  ‘Stand’, written and read by Jericho Brown. Jericho Brown’s most recent collection, The Tradition (https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jericho-brown/the-tradition/9781529020472) , is out now from Picador and is a 2019 National Book Award for Poetry finalist. About the presenters RACHAEL ALLEN is the poetry editor at Granta, co-editor at the poetry press clinic and of online journal tender. A pamphlet of her poems was published as part of the Faber New Poets scheme, and her first collection, Kingdomland (https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571341115-kingdomland.html) , was published by Faber in January 2019. She is the recipient of an Eric Gregory award and New Writing North’s Andrew Waterhouse award. JACK UNDERWOOD is a poet, who also writes short fiction and non-fiction. A recipient of the Eric Gregory Award in 2007, he published his debut pamphlet in 2009 as part of the Faber New Poets series. His first collection Happiness (https://www.waterstones.com/book/happiness/jack-underwood/9780571313617) was published by Faber in 2015 and was winner of the 2016 Somerset Maugham prize. He is a lecturer in creative writing at Goldsmiths College and is currently writing a non-fiction book about poetry and uncertainty. Two pamphlets, Solo for Mascha Voice and Tenuous Rooms were published by Test Centre in 2018. The Faber Poetry Podcast is produced by Rachael Allen, Jack Underwood and Hannah Marshall for Faber & Faber. Editing by Strathmore Publishing. Special thanks to Aria Aber, Jericho Brown, Daljit Nagra and Nisha Ramayya.

Ten Words for a Northern Landscape: Episode 4: Obsession Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In episode four, Caroline meets Lancashire-based writer Carys Davies, whose phenomenal novella West is set in the vast, wild landscape of the American Midwest in the middle of the 19th century. In this book about exploration and walking into the unknown, the sense of an undiscovered landscape offers remarkable parallels with Weardale. Local writers Susan Nicholson and Chris Powell of the North Pens writing group also discuss the book and its resonance with the area, while Chris Scaife, a caver and explorer, talks about the instinct for exploration and the excitement of visiting a place that how not yet been uncovered. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In episode three, Caroline looks at the thin divide between religion, folklore and witchcraft, as well as the ‘othering’ of outsiders and incomers, with local resident John Gall and horror writer Andrew Michael Hurley. Andrew Michael Hurley’s Costa Award-winning novel The Loney – set in an another rural northern landscape – wavers in an unsettling place between the supernatural and the merely strange. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Episode two of our new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In part two, Caroline meets award-winning nature writer and environmental activist Karen Lloyd, author of The Gathering Tide; A Journey Around the Edgelands of Morecambe Bay and The Blackbird Diaries. While her first book takes in land and the landscape, The Blackbird Diaries takes in the more intimate environment of her own back garden. Together with Rebecca Barrett, project manager for the North Pennines Area of Natural Beauty, Jill Essam of Harehope Quarry and local resident Carol Inskipp, they discuss how this seemingly wild landscape bears the scars of having been shaped by industry, from lead mining to farming, and how we can work with nature to rewild the area. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

In the penultimate episode of the second series, Ilya Kaminsky and Sophie Robinson join Jack and Rachael in the studio to discuss, among other things, poems with ‘big dick energy’, the blurring of poetry with other literary forms and the tension between metaphor and the denial of metaphor. Audio postcards are from Daisy Lafarge, Anthony Anaxagorou and Hugo Williams.  Listen to this episode and subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss forthcoming episodes from the new season. Show notes  Studio guests ILYA KAMINSKY was born in the former Soviet Union and is now an American citizen. He is the author of two collections of poetry, Deaf Republic and Dancing in Odessa (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancing-Odessa-Ilya-Kaminsky/dp/1908376120) , and co-editor of The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry. Deaf Republic (https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571351411-deaf-republic.html) has been shortlisted for the 2019 Forward Poetry Prize for Best Collection, the T. S. Eliot Prize and the National Book Award for Poetry. He has received a Whiting Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His work has been translated into more than twenty languages. @ilya_poet (https://twitter.com/ilya_poet) SOPHIE ROBINSON teaches Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia and is the author of A and The Institute of Our Love in Disrepair. Her third collection, Rabbit (https://www.boilerhouse.press/product-page/rabbit) , was published by Boiler House Press in 2018 and was chosen for the winter PBS Wild Card Choice. Recent work has appeared in n+1, The White Review, Poetry Review, The Brooklyn Rail, Ploughshares, BOMB Magazine, and Granta. @sophiepoetry (https://twitter.com/sophiepoetry) Audio postcards featured in this episode ‘the willows on the common are still on fire’, written and read by Daisy Lafarge. Her pamphlets understudies for air (https://sadpresspoetry.com/our-books/) and capriccio (https://shop.spamzine.co.uk/product/capriccio) were published by Sad Press in 2017 and Spam Press in 2019 respectively. @janepaulette (https://twitter.com/janepaulette) ‘Cause’, written and read by Anthony Anaxagorou. Anthony’s most recent collection, After the Formalities (http://www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk/index.php/2019/08/after-the-formalities/) , is out now from Penned in the Margins and is shortlisted for the 2019 T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry. @Anthony1983 (https://twitter.com/Anthony1983) ‘Tara Browne’, written and read by Hugo Williams. Lines Off (https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571349753-lines-off.html) , Hugo’s latest collection, was published by Faber in June 2019.  About the presenters RACHAEL ALLEN is the poetry editor at Granta, co-editor at the poetry press Clinic and of online journal tender. A pamphlet of her poems was published as part of the Faber New Poets scheme, and her first collection, Kingdomland (https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571341115-kingdomland.html) , was published by Faber in January 2019. She is the recipient of an Eric Gregory award and New Writing North’s Andrew Waterhouse award. @r_vallen (https://twitter.com/r_vallen) JACK UNDERWOOD is a poet, who also writes short fiction and non-fiction. A recipient of the Eric Gregory Award in 2007, he published his debut pamphlet in 2009 as part of the Faber New Poets series. His first collection Happiness (https://www.waterstones.com/book/happiness/jack-underwood/9780571313617) was published by Faber in 2015 and was winner of the 2016 Somerset Maugham prize. He is a lecturer in creative writing at Goldsmiths College and is currently writing a non-fiction book about poetry and uncertainty. Two pamphlets, Solo for Mascha Voice and Tenuous Rooms were published by Test Centre in 2018. @underwood_jack (https://twitter.com/underwood_jack) The Faber Poetry Podcast is produced by Rachael Allen, Jack Underwood and Hannah Marshall for Faber & Faber. Editing by Strathmore Publishing. Special thanks to Anthony Anaxagorou, Ilya Kaminskyi, Daisy Lafarge, Sophie Robinson and Hugo Williams. 

A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In the first episode, Caroline goes on a journey underground and looks at how the North Pennines’ mines and quarries have proven a rich creative inspiration to writers. In the former mine at Killhope, she speaks to performers and audience members of Trapped, a physical theatre and film work performed by Experiential. The piece is inspired by the collapse of the San Jose Mine, Chile in 2010, when the world watched as 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 terrifying days. With poet Sean O’Brien, Caroline also considers WH Auden, a poet known for his urban and urbane writing, but whose obsession with the North Pennines bordered on religious, and inspired many of his greatest poems. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Polly Atkin published her first full length poetry collection, Basic Nest Architecture, in 2017. Like her two pamphlets before it – bone song (2008) and Shadow Dispatches (2013) – Basic Nest Architecture won critical acclaim, including New Writing North’s Andrew Waterhouse Prize. Suzannah V. Evans chatted with Polly about the roots of her poetic life in places like Cumbria, where she now lives, as well as within the StAnza poetry festival, where this interview was recorded. Read more about this podcast on our blog.

Emma McGordon is an award-winning poet, performer and community artist. Her many awards and nominations include the 2017 Julia Darling Award from New Writing North and the longlist for the National Poetry Award 2019. Ian Walker was also longlisted for the National Poetry Award 2019 and was the Apprentice Poet-in-Residence for the Ilkley Literature Festival 2018. He received his MFA in Poetry from the Writing School at MMU.

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England. Andrew’s journey comes to an end, and he wheels his travel suitcase back to the New Writing North offices to chat to Claire Malcolm, and offer up a new poem about what he’s found. Recorded May 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England. Andrew continues his journey into the Rich Seams of Northern Poetry at the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere with Cumbrian poets Emma McGorden, Kim Moore and Eileen Pun. Thinking about nature, nurture and the North as a backdrop for bigger experiences, Andrew searches for more answers in his quest, and hears new work from three of our most exciting contemporary poets. Recorded on Monday 15th October at in the library of the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere, Cumbria. To find out more about the Rich Seams podcast, visit durhambookfestival.com. Rich Seams was commissioned for Durham Book Festival. Durham Book Festival is a Durham County Council event, produced by New Writing North with support from Durham University and Arts Council England.

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England. In a special, live edition of Rich Seams, Andrew begins his journey to dig down into the place of poetry in the North; he’s joined by North East based poets Jake Campbell, John Challis and Degna Stone to think about who’s voices poetry allows us to hear, who we still need to hear more from and whether there is a particularly northern idea of poetry. Recorded live at Durham Book Festival on Saturday 13th October at Durham Town Hall. To find out more about the Rich Seams podcast, visit durhambookfestival.com. Rich Seams was commissioned for Durham Book Festival. Durham Book Festival is a Durham County Council event, produced by New Writing North with support from Durham University and Arts Council England.

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England. Our launch episode, in which we tear open the seams of poetry in the North to examine its legacy, its present condition and where it might be heading in the future. Andrew McMillan talks to Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North about the ideas behind Rich Seams and takes the measure of northern poetry with Professor Stephen Regan from Durham University and Alice Mullen from the Poetry Book Society. Recorded at the Old Cinema Launderette, Durham City as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2018.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, palliative care specialist Kathryn Mannix talks to Professor Douglas Davies about her new book With the End in Mind, an exploration of one of the biggest taboos in our society and the only certainty we all share: death. They discuss how important it is to re-claim public understanding of death, and how it allows us to plan and relate to our dearest during the last part of our, or their, lives. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

Sarah Moss is a novelist and Professor at the University of Warwick. Her most recent book Ghost Wall articulates the tangled space of love, abuse and resistance. Her previous novels include Cold Earth, Night Waking, Signs for Lost Children and The Tidal Zone. She has written for The Guardian, New Statesman, The Independent and BBC Radio. Michael Richardson is a Lecturer in Human Geography at Newcastle University. He has longstanding research interests in masculinities and intergenerational relationships on post-industrial Tyneside. He is a trustee of North East Young Dads and Lads project and works closely with Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children's Books. Harriet Shawcross is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist. Her first book Unspeakable reflects on how, as a teenager, she stopped speaking at school for almost a year, communicating only when absolutely necessary. It mixes personal experience with travel diaries and interviews including Eve Ensler creator of The Vagina Monologues. Una is a comics artist and writer. Her first graphic novel Becoming Unbecoming is about Una’s own encounters with sexual violence and survival. Her other titles include On Sanity: One Day In Two Lives and Cree, commissioned by New Writing North and Durham Book Festival. Producer: Luke Mulhall

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, award-winning author Sarah Perry introduces her new novel Melmoth, a chilling and deeply moving book that speaks urgently to our times. Sarah is in conversation with Professor Simon James of Durham University, and discusses her writing structure (or lack thereof), plans for her future books and how her upbringing has influenced her taste for the gothic. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

Warning: contains content which some listeners may find upsetting. This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, Professor Dame Sue Black, introduces her new book All That Remains: A Life in Death. This gripping memoir provides a fascinating look at death – its causes, our attitudes towards it, and the forensic scientist's way of analysing it. Sue is in conversation with Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode Jordanian screenplay writer Mofleh Al Adwan and poet Linda France discuss their experiences taking part in the Alta'ir creative exchange. This cross-cultural exchange between Durham and Amman was established to help raise the profile of British writing in Jordan and of Arab writing and culture in the UK. Alta’ir is a partnership project between Durham Book Festival/New Writing North, the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), St Mary’s College, Durham University, Dr Fadia Faqir and the British Council. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode poet, author and playwright, Owen Sheers talks to Professor Stephen Regan about The Green Hollow, his moving and beautifully rendered film poem about the 1966 Aberfan mining disaster. The two discuss the way the disaster affected the community of Aberfan, and how it created a ‘radical culture of the betrayed.’ Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, New Statesman editor Jason Cowley and Sky News Correspondent Lewis Goodall introduce their new books, and discuss one of the most turbulent periods in UK political history – from the fall of Blair to the rise of Corbyn and Brexit. This discussion is chaired by Dr Claire Sutherland of Durham University. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, Booker-prize winning author Pat Barker introduces her new book The Silence of the Girls, in conversation with Dr Anne Whitehead of Newcastle University. The Silence of the Girls is a brilliant reimagining of the legendary Trojan War told instead from the overlooked perspective of Briseis, one of many women silenced by history. Pat talks about the importance of female perspectives in history, the parallels between The Silence of the Girls and her award-winning Regeneration and the relevance of reimagining the classics for modern day readers. Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at http://durhambookfestival.com.

For Crime Story 2018 award-winning writer Denise Mina was commissioned to write a thrilling crime story about murder, trafficking and the drug trade. The story was the focus of a series of panel events in which real police, lawyers and criminologists explored how they would have approached solving the crime in real life. Here she talks with Professor Katy Shaw of Northumbria University about her work and writing life, how to write a truly interesting victim and just how to solve her intriguing mystery. Crime Story is a unique event for crime writers and readers, produced by New Writing North and Northumbria University. Find out more about Crime Story here: https://bit.ly/2tGQNSD

David Roche has seen publishing from pretty much every angle: publisher, bookseller, author, reader, mentor, consultant and industry maven. He's been on the boards of HarperCollins, Waterstones and HMV, was CEO of Borders and Books Etc, he's the chair of New Writing North, non-exec chair of the London Book Fair, and executive chair of the publishing industry's online magazine, BookBrunch. And he's just published a crowdfunded book of poems. So today's conversation is a look at where the industry's going from someone with unrivalled insights, plus a very personal - and very funny - view of what happens when the gamekeeper turns poacher.  Audio, crowdfunding, subscription models, marketing, book events: bring yourself up to speed with what's happening in the industry in the company of publishing's most entertaining expert. 

In this special episode, Lionel Shriver, the American writer best known for her novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, reads a new short story inspired by the news of 2017. She wrote it for the Word Factory and New Writing North for 'Citizen: The New Story, London's first festival exploring Citizenship', which takes place on November 10-12. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rachel Abbott spent most of her working life as the Managing Director of an interactive media company. After her company was sold in 2000, it took until November 2011 for Rachel to launch her first novel Only the Innocent. The book was self-published in the UK through the Kindle Direct Publishing programme on Amazon, and reached the number 1 spot in the Kindle store just over three months later. In August 2015, Amazon confirmed that Rachel is the UK's bestselling independent author over the last five years. She is also listed at number 14 in the list of bestselling authors – both traditionally and independently published – over the same five year period. Rachel now splits her time between homes in Italy and Alderney, where she writes full time and has just published her sixth novel, The Sixth Window. Episode 69, release date Monday 26th June, 2017 1) Rachel's website: http://www.rachel-abbott.com/ 2) Rachel's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RachelAbbott1Writer/ 3) Follow Rachel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelAbbott 4) Rachel's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelAbbott 5) Follow Rachel on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/rachelabbott1/ 6) Rachel's Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachel-Abbott/e/B0068FBVCW/ 7) Rachel's Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349971.Rachel_Abbott Talking Points 1) Rachel uses Scrivener for writing her books: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php 2) Rachel plots her books with Scrapple: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php 3) Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/ 4) Ingram Spark: http://www.ingramspark.com/ 5) New Writing North (which hosted Rachel's talk in Newcastle): http://newwritingnorth.com/ 6) The AIDA marketing model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDA_(marketing) 7) The Writer's Workshop: http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/

Rachel Abbott spent most of her working life as the Managing Director of an interactive media company. After her company was sold in 2000, it took until November 2011 for Rachel to launch her first novel Only the Innocent. The book was self-published in the UK through the Kindle Direct Publishing programme on Amazon, and reached the number 1 spot in the Kindle store just over three months later. In August 2015, Amazon confirmed that Rachel is the UK's bestselling independent author over the last five years. She is also listed at number 14 in the list of bestselling authors – both traditionally and independently published – over the same five year period. Rachel now splits her time between homes in Italy and Alderney, where she writes full time and has just published her sixth novel, The Sixth Window. Episode 69, release date Monday 26th June, 2017 1) Rachel's website: http://www.rachel-abbott.com/ 2) Rachel's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RachelAbbott1Writer/ 3) Follow Rachel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelAbbott 4) Rachel's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelAbbott 5) Follow Rachel on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/rachelabbott1/ 6) Rachel's Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachel-Abbott/e/B0068FBVCW/ 7) Rachel's Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349971.Rachel_Abbott Talking Points 1) Rachel uses Scrivener for writing her books: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php 2) Rachel plots her books with Scrapple: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php 3) Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/ 4) Ingram Spark: http://www.ingramspark.com/ 5) New Writing North (which hosted Rachel's talk in Newcastle): http://newwritingnorth.com/ 6) The AIDA marketing model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDA_(marketing) 7) The Writer's Workshop: http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/self-publishing-journeys/message

1) This week's writing progress: 2) Appearing at Amazon Academy in Edinburgh, representing The Alliance of Independent Authors: 3) I did a bit of author research this week! One of the characters in my Don't Tell Meg trilogy is a clairvoyant, Steven Terry. He's only a minor character, but I like writing him, so I wanted to dig a little deeper!   4) I'm hoping to hit two targets by May 31st. My first target was to achieve 100k page reads this month - this target has been hit: I am also hoping to break $1000 in book earnings this month - and become a 4-figure author at long last. Finally, I'm hoping to hit my highest number of podcast downloads in one month by the end of May - I'd like to hit the 3000 downloads mark if I can. 5) My guest blog post for Ingram Spark: http://www.ingramspark.com/blog/email-marketing-for-authors 6) My first author booking for March 2018 is for the Crime & Publishment event: https://www.facebook.com/CrimePublishment/ 7) New Writing North: http://newwritingnorth.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/self-publishing-journeys/message

1) This week's writing progress: 2) Appearing at Amazon Academy in Edinburgh, representing The Alliance of Independent Authors: 3) I did a bit of author research this week! One of the characters in my Don't Tell Meg trilogy is a clairvoyant, Steven Terry. He's only a minor character, but I like writing him, so I wanted to dig a little deeper!   4) I'm hoping to hit two targets by May 31st. My first target was to achieve 100k page reads this month - this target has been hit: I am also hoping to break $1000 in book earnings this month - and become a 4-figure author at long last. Finally, I'm hoping to hit my highest number of podcast downloads in one month by the end of May - I'd like to hit the 3000 downloads mark if I can. 5) My guest blog post for Ingram Spark: http://www.ingramspark.com/blog/email-marketing-for-authors 6) My first author booking for March 2018 is for the Crime & Publishment event: https://www.facebook.com/CrimePublishment/ 7) New Writing North: http://newwritingnorth.com/

George Saunders, Kirsty Logan, Jenn Asworth and Paul McVeigh discuss writing fiction short and long with presenter Matthew Sweet. Acclaimed American short story writer George Saunders talks about travelling in time to explore Abraham Lincoln's life during the American Civil War when the President's beloved young son died. These historical events have inspired Saunder's first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, whilst his short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, McSweeeney's and GQ. He compares notes on the art of the short story with Paul McVeigh, Jenn Ashworth and Kirsty Logan, who've been commissioned by New Writing North and the WordFactory to write Flash Fiction on this year's Free Thinking Festival theme of The Speed of Life. Kirsty Logan is the author of books including The Gracekeepers and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales and a range of short stories. Jenn Ashworth's books include Fell, The Friday Gospels, A Kind of Intimacy and Cold Light and a selection of short stories. Paul McVeigh has won prizes including the Polari prize for his debut novel The Good Son. Born in Belfast he is co-founder of the London Short Story Festival, writes a blog and has represented the UK at events in Mexico and Turkey. Recorded in front of an audience as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead. The stories commissioned for the Festival are available to listen to as an Arts and Ideas podcast available for 30 days. Producer: Zahid Warley

In this episode of the podcast, you will hear Mark talking about the poem that has been a friend to him: 'For Sigrid' by Derek Walcott. Mark visited The Poetry Exchange at The Chapel in St Chad's College as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2015. We're very grateful to Durham Book Festival, New Writing North and St Chad's College for hosting The Poetry Exchange. Thank you also to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for kindly granting permission for us to use this poem. Do visit them for further inspiration and to find out more about Derek and his work. us.macmillan.com us.macmillan.com/author/derekwalcott Mark is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members, Fiona Lesley Bennett and Michael Schaeffer. 'For Sigrid' is read by Michael Schaeffer. ***** ‘For Sigrid' from ‘The Bounty' by Derek Walcott. The sea should have settled him, but its noise is no help. I am talking about a man whose doors invite a sail to cross a kitchen-sill at sunrise, to whom the reek of kelp drying in the sunlit wind on the chattering shoal or the veils of a drizzle hazing a narrow cave are a phantom passion; who hears in the feathering lances of grass a soundless siege, who, when a bird skips a wave, feels an arrow shoot from his heart and his wrist dances. He sees the full moon in daylight, the sky's waning rose, the gray wind, his nurse trawling her shawl of white lace; whose wounds were sprinkled with salt but who turns over their horrors with each crinkling carapace. I am talking about small odysseys that, with the rhythm of a galley, launch his waking house in the thinning indigo hour, as he mutters thanks over the answer of a freckled, forgiving back in creased linen, its salt neck and damp hair, and, rising from cover, to the soundless pad of a leopard or a mewing kitten, unscrews the coffee-jar and measures two and a half spoons, and pauses, paralyzed by a sail crossing blue windows, then dresses in the half-dark, dawn-drawn by the full moon's magnet, until her light-heaving back is a widow's. She drags the tides and she hauls the heart by hawsers stronger than any devotion, and she creates monsters that have pulled god-settled heroes from their houses and shawled women watching the fading of the stars. "For Sigrid" from THE BOUNTY by Derek Walcott. Copyright © 1997 by Derek Walcott. Used by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. http://us.macmillan.com/fsg

In this episode of our podcast, you will hear Alison talking about the poem that has been a friend to her: 'Restlessness' by D. H. Lawrence. Alison visited The Poetry Exchange at the Chapel in St Chad's College as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2015. We're very grateful to Durham Book Festival, New Writing North and St Chad's Chapel for hosting The Poetry Exchange. Do visit them for further inspiration! www.durhambookfestival.com www.newwritingnorth.com www.stchads.ac.uk Alison is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members, Fiona Lesley Bennett and Michael Schaeffer. 'Restlessness' is read by Michael Schaeffer. ***** 'Restlessness' by D. H. Lawrence At the open door of the room I stand and look at the night, Hold my hand to catch the raindrops, that slant into sight, Arriving grey from the darkness above suddenly into the light of the room. I will escape from the hollow room, the box of light, And be out in the bewildering darkness, which is always fecund, which might Mate my hungry soul with a germ of its womb. I will go out to the night, as a man goes down to the shore To draw his net through the surf's thin line, at the dawn before The sun warms the sea, little, lonely and sad, sifting the sobbing tide. I will sift the surf that edges the night, with my net, the four Strands of my eyes and my lips and my hands and my feet, sifting the store Of flotsam until my soul is tired or satisfied. I will catch in my eyes' quick net The faces of all the women as they go past, Bend over them with my soul, to cherish the wet Cheeks and wet hair a moment, saying: “Is it you?” Looking earnestly under the dark umbrellas, held fast Against the wind; and if, where the lamplight blew Its rainy swill about us, she answered me With a laugh and a merry wildness that it was she Who was seeking me, and had found me at last to free Me now from the stunting bonds of my chastity, How glad I should be! Moving along in the mysterious ebb of the night Pass the men whose eyes are shut like anemones in a dark pool; Why don't they open with vision and speak to me, what have they in sight? Why do I wander aimless among them, desirous fool? I can always linger over the huddled books on the stalls, Always gladden my amorous fingers with the touch of their leaves, Always kneel in courtship to the shelves in the doorways, where falls The shadow, always offer myself to one mistress, who always receives. But oh, it is not enough, it is all no good. There is something I want to feel in my running blood, Something I want to touch; I must hold my face to the rain, I must hold my face to the wind, and let it explain Me its life as it hurries in secret. I will trail my hands again through the drenched, cold leaves Till my hands are full of the chillness and touch of leaves, Till at length they induce me to sleep, and to forget.

In this episode of our podcast, you will hear Margaret talking about the poem that has been a friend to her: 'Transfiguration' by Edwin Muir. Margaret visited The Poetry Exchange at The Chapel in St Chad's College as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2015. We're very grateful to Durham Book Festival, New Writing North and St Chad's College for hosting The Poetry Exchange. Do visit them for further inspiration! www.durhambookfestival.com www.newwritingnorth.com www.stchads.ac.uk Margaret is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members, Fiona Lesley Bennett and Michael Shaeffer. 'Transfiguration' is read by Fiona Lesley Bennett. ***** Transfiguration by Edwin Muir So from the ground we felt that virtue branch Through all our veins till we were whole, our wrists As fresh and pure as water from a well, Our hands made new to handle holy things, The source of all our seeing rinsed and cleansed Till earth and light and water entering there Gave back to us the clear unfallen world. We would have thrown our clothes away for lightness, But that even they, though sour and travel stained, Seemed, like our flesh, made of immortal substance, And the soiled flax and wool lay light upon us Like friendly wonders, flower and flock entwined As in a morning field. Was it a vision? Or did we see that day the unseeable One glory of the everlasting world Perpetually at work, though never seen Since Eden locked the gate that's everywhere And nowhere? Was the change in us alone, And the enormous earth still left forlorn, An exile or a prisoner? Yet the world We saw that day made this unreal, for all Was in its place. The painted animals Assembled there in gentle congregations, Or sought apart their leafy oratories, Or walked in peace, the wild and tame together, As if, also for them, the day had come. The shepherds' hovels shone, for underneath The soot we saw the stone clean at the heart As on the starting-day. The refuse heaps Were grained with that fine dust that made the world; For he had said, ‘To the pure all things are pure.' And when we went into the town, he with us, The lurkers under doorways, murderers, With rags tied round their feet for silence, came Out of themselves to us and were with us, And those who hide within the labyrinth Of their own loneliness and greatness came, And those entangled in their own devices, The silent and the garrulous liars, all Stepped out of their dungeons and were free. Reality or vision, this we have seen. If it had lasted but another moment It might have held for ever! But the world Rolled back into its place, and we are here, And all that radiant kingdom lies forlorn, As if it had never stirred; no human voice Is heard among its meadows, but it speaks To itself alone, alone it flowers and shines And blossoms for itself while time runs on. But he will come again, it's said, though not Unwanted and unsummoned; for all things, Beasts of the field, and woods, and rocks, and seas, And all mankind from end to end of the earth Will call him with one voice. In our own time, Some say, or at a time when time is ripe. Then he will come, Christ the uncrucified, Christ the discrucified, his death undone, His agony unmade, his cross dismantled— Glad to be so—and the tormented wood Will cure its hurt and grow into a tree In a green springing corner of young Eden, And Judas damned take his long journey backward From darkness into light and be a child Beside his mother's knee, and the betrayal Be quite undone and never more be done.

In this inaugural episode of our podcast, you will hear Dominic talking about the poem that has been a friend to him: 'The Second Coming' by W. B. Yeats. ‘It's just stuck with me, in a good friend way…it's got this negative vision but this beautiful frame that can't seem to support that, which is I guess is why I go back to it.' Dominic visited The Poetry Exchange at St Chad's College Chapel, as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2015. We're very grateful to Durham Book Festival, New Writing North and St Chad's College for hosting The Poetry Exchange. Do visit them for further inspiration! www.durhambookfestival.com www.newwritingnorth.com www.stchads.ac.uk Dominic is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members Fiona Lesley Bennett and Michael Shaeffer. 'The Second Coming' is read by Michael Shaeffer ***** The Second Coming by W. B. Yeats Turning and turning in the widening gyre    The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere    The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst    Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand.    The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out    When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert    A shape with lion body and the head of a man,    A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,    Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it    Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.    The darkness drops again; but now I know    That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats (1989)

Welcome to The Poetry Exchange. We explore the idea of poems as friends. Over the last two years, we've been inviting people to come and talk to us about a poem that has been a friend to them. Our new podcast will share these conversations, illuminating readers' insights into poems and the power of poetry in our everyday lives. In each podcast episode you'll be able to listen to one person talking about a poem and how it's been a friend to them. You'll also hear a unique reading of their chosen poem, made especially for them. For now, here's a taster - some extracts of the conversations we've been having with people about poems as friends and the place of poetry in their lives. We hope you enjoy it. Click on the link to subscribe to receive each new podcast as soon as it's released. www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk/listen The Poetry Exchange is generously supported by Arts Council England, Workers of Art, New Writing North and Spread the Word. www.artscouncil.org.uk www.workers-of-art.co.uk www.newwritingnorth.com www.spreadtheword.org.uk

In 1951 pitman-turned-novelist Sid Chaplin was commissioned to write The Lakes to Tyneside, one of 13 guides to the UK’s regions to mark the Festival of Britain. In 2014, Michael Chaplin was commissioned by Durham Book Festival to follow in his father’s footsteps, undertaking seven contrasting walks, starting on Holy Island and finishing in Durham. Michael's book recording his walk is available to buy from the New Writing North website at http://www.shop.newwritingnorth.com/there-is-a-green-hill-d402338.html. There is a Green Hill and Tyne View, Michael Chaplin's exploration of the River Tyne, are both available to buy in the New Writing North shop and make ideal Christmas presents for the North Easterner in your life. Buy both books for the special price of £18.

Mark Benton and Professor Simon James discuss The Wind in the Willows at Durham Book Festival 2014. The Books for Boys exhibition at Palace Green Library, Durham is open until 11 January 2015. For more information, see https://www.dur.ac.uk/palace.green/whatson/details/?id=21268. Durham Book Festival is produced by New Writing North for Durham County Council.

For a special event for members of New Writing North's book group network, we brought together Matt Haig, a former TV Book Club winner, whose novel The Humans is a funny and moving story of what happens when Professor Andrew Martin, who solves the world’s greatest mathematical riddle, disappears, and Lottie Moggach. Lottie’s debut mystery, Kiss Me First, sees teenager Leila, who lives most of her life via the internet, agreeing to assume the identity of a girl she has never met, and learning a lot about herself in the process. Chaired by Caroline Beck Recorded on Sunday 13 October at Durham Town Hall. For more information about the festival, see http://www.durhambookfestival.com.

With Jenny Brown, agent and director of Jenny Brown Associates.

 Jenny Brown set up her literary agency in Edinburgh in 2002 and can draw on her extensive experience of literature and the publishing industry to explain what agents do, and how they can make a vital difference to a writer’s career. She was also able to offer tips on how best to submit work to agents and make your work stand out from the submissions. This event was part of Get Your Work Published, a one-day workshop held on 26 November 2011 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and organised by New Writing North for writers in the north east of England.

With Caroline Theobald of The Bridge Club North. Caroline Theobald runs networking sessions with people and businesses from all industries, and takes you through the best way to represent yourself and your work, and get the most out of any networking opportunities you may have. This event was part of Get Your Work Published, a one-day workshop held on 26 November 2011 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and organised by New Writing North for writers in the north east of England.

When he’s not being an agent at Jenny Brown Associates, Allan Guthrie is a crime novelist who won the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year in 2007 for his debut, Two-Way Split, and has been nominated for several awards, including an Edgar in the US. In the last year, he's also sold around 50,000 copies of his self-published ebooks. At this event, Allan is talking about digital publishing and how it worked for him, and explaining ways you can look to publish your work yourself on the web. This event was part of Get Your Work Published, a one-day workshop held on 26 November 2011 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and organised by New Writing North for writers in the north east of England.

Olivia Chapman of New Writing North  talks about the benefits and support that in-depth editorial critique of your writing can bring, and explains how to work on your manuscript to get it to the best possible standard before submitting it to agents and editors. This event was part of Get Your Work Published, a one-day workshop held on 26 November 2011 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and organised by New Writing North for writers in the north east of England.

With Emma Beswetherick, editorial director at Little, Brown; publicist Maura Brickell, agent Jenny Brown and novelist Carolyn Jess-Cooke. Between them, the four speakers on this panel have experience of pretty much every aspect of publishing, from submissions, to representing an author, to selling foreign rights, the editorial process, sales and marketing and publicity. They explain each part of the publishing process and answer questions from the floor. Chaired by New Writing North’s Olivia Chapman. This event was part of Get Your Work Published, a one-day workshop held on 26 November 2011 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and organised by New Writing North for writers in the north east of England.