We’ve also curated a constellation of workshops, how-to sessions and keynotes designed to act as creative rocket fuel for your writing and teaching practice. Here are a few highlights:
We’re thrilled to announce our evening keynote speaker! On Friday 10 March at 7pm, we are delighted to be joined by Patrice Lawrence MBE, who will share insights from her writing life and help us to explore how writers keep going in challenging times. Picking up on the theme of Living as a Writer, Patrice will talk about how she has built her career around writing and how she works to ensure that children from marginalised backgrounds get to see themselves in her books.
Kicking us off (early) on the morning of Friday 10 March at 7.15am, we’re excited to welcome back Write & Shine with Gemma Seltzer. Celebrating the creative power of the morning, Gemma will share a range of materials—including literature, artwork, and film—to consider, discuss and generate new writing. (Booking essential, additional fee payable. Open to conference delegates only.)
Our daytime keynote brings together two of the sector’s most respected writers and teachers, Maura Dooley and Blake Morrison, to discuss how creative writing teaching has changed since they set up the Creative Writing MA at Goldsmiths. What is the future of education? will see these writers in-conversation with Jonathan Davidson, and will also feature readings from both writers and the chance for you to ask them questions.
We’re also really pleased to host the launch of 'Making Hybrid Literature Events Accessible: A Resource Guide' with Kendal Poetry Festival and Manchester Poetry Library (Friday 10 March, 11.45am). Commissioned by NAWE, carried out by Manchester Poetry library, using Kendal Poetry Festival as an example of good practice, this session will launch a resource guide for festival organisers wishing to run accessible hybrid events.
In a specially programmed event, writer Abi Curtis is joined by Paige Davis (York St John) to discuss Scenes from Early Parenthood – Creative Writing and the Parental Experience. Abi and Paige will present findings from an interdisciplinary project between creative writing and psychology that explores experiences of early parenthood, and introduce our audience to an anthology, Blood & Cord: Writers on Early Parenthood, due to be published by the Emma Press in May 2023. Writers featured include Daisy Hildyard, Naomi Booth, Rebecca Goss, Rachel Bower, Janine Bradbury and Caleb Klaces.
We’ve been thinking a lot about displacement at NAWE, so we’re thrilled to welcome Visible Communities: translation in education and communities (Friday 10 March, 2.15 pm). National Centre for Writing writers and translators Sawad Hussain, Shagufta Sharmeen Tania and Sophie Lau will explore the relationship between literary translation and diaspora communities in the UK in a panel chaired by Rebecca DeWald.
We’ve got ‘How to…’ sessions on Managing the Business Side of Freelancing (with Julia Bird, Friday 10 March, 12.50pm), and on Funding for Writers with Jonathan Davidson (Saturday 11 March, 10.15am). Poet Katrina Naomi leads ‘Light My Fire: Writing and the Menopause’, looking at how to support yourself during this time and how to find creativity and power in this change.
Throughout the programme, we’ve threaded discussions, talks and workshops to help you nourish your writing and teaching practice and call for change in 2023.
You can view and/or download a pdf of the programme on the right of the page.
Ticket pricing and booking info is here. Early Bird Discount extended until 14 February 2023.