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News from New Writing North: 30 January 2026
A tribute to our Chair, Neil Warwick
The staff and board at New Writing North were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our Chair, Neil Warwick OBE. Neil was appointed New Writing North Chair in September 2024, at a time of momentous change for the organisation, as the plans for a new centre for writing and publishing started to gather real momentum. We are saddened that he will never get to see this project fully realised, but his approach, wisdom and leadership will be remembered. He will be missed by everyone here at New Writing North.
Centre for writing funding news
Our plans to open a centre for writing and publishing with Northumbria University took another major step forward as Newcastle City Council announced £1 million towards the project earlier this month. This follows the £5 million committed by central government this time last year, and we have more funding news coming shortly.
World-class authors to come to Newcastle for Right to Read
Right to Read is our programme of events in the North East to celebrate the National Year of Reading in 2026. This spring you can celebrate Alan Hollinghurst’s 40-year career, see Max Porter deliver the 2026 PEN Lecture, hear about the newest book from Shuggie Bain author Douglas Stuart, and discuss all things romantasy with HF Askwith and Tasha Suri. Our event with Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell is already sold out, so make sure to grab tickets for our other events while you can.
Opportunities for writers this spring
In addition to our exciting reader events, we’ve also announced our line-up of writing opportunities for the upcoming season. Save the date for our popular Writing Conference, this year coming to the Tees Valley for the first time on Sunday 17 May. Aspiring screenwriters can attend events on Writing TV Drama in Kendal, and Screenwriting for Playwrights in Durham – plus look out for the Channel 4 Writing for TV Awards opening in May.
Gordon Burn Prize 2026 shortlist announced
This year’s Gordon Burn Prize shortlist tells stories from across the world, from a reservation in America and a Ukraine on the brink of war, to a small Welsh village. Each book feels deeply personal, from tender explorations of the queer lives of earlier generations to books that look at the effects of war and colonialism by writers with first-hand experience of oppression and intergenerational trauma.
The winner of the 2026 prize will be announced at Newcastle’s Northern Stage on 5 March, book your ticket now.
Northern Writers' Awards closing soon...
It’s the last chance to get your entries in for many of our Northern Writers’ Awards:
- The flagship Northern Writers’ Awards, for emerging and established writers of fiction, narrative non-fiction, and poetry. Deadline 5 February.
- The Northern Debut Awards, for debut writers of fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction, and poetry. Deadline 5 February.
- The Great Northern Read Award, for a debut writer of a gripping novel across any genre, such as crime, romance or fantasy. Deadline 5 February.
- The Young Northern Writers’ Awards, for young people aged 11-19. Deadline 5 February.
- The Children’s Books North Network Prize, for a debut children’s book illustrator. Deadline 26 February.
- The Charlotte Aitken Trust Awards, for early career published writers of fiction, poetry or narrative non-fiction. Deadline 26 February.
Read this blog post to help you figure out which award is most suited for you to apply for.
... and more Northern Writers' Awards opening soon!
On 5 February, loads more Northern Writers' Awards will open for entries with a deadline of 10 March:
- NEW FOR 2026: The Tees Valley Award, for fiction and narrative non-fiction writers ay any career stage, living in the Tees Valley.
- The Arvon Award, for prose writers at any career stage.
- The Finchale Award for Short Fiction, for writers at any career stage of a single, unpublished short story.
- The Northern Promise TLC Awards, for poets, prose writers and children's writers who may have faced barriers to seeing their work progress.
- The Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award, for current students and recent graduates of Northumbria University.
- The Sid Chaplin Award, for writers of fiction and narrative non-fiction from working-class backgrounds.
- The Tempest Prize, for unpublished LGBTQ+ writers.
Come along to our Tees Valley Roadshow on 28 February in Darlington to hear more about navigating the writing industries and applying for the awards.
Faber Publishing Open Day
Aged 18-25, live in the North, and interested in working in publishing? See behind the scenes at one of the UK’s great independent publishers on a day trip to the Faber London office.
You’ll find out from the team at Faber how a book goes from manuscript to bookshop and learn about pathways into publishing jobs. We’ll be joined by author James Muldoon to learn about the publication journey of his new book, Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships.
Apply by 26 February to take part. Successful applicants will be notified by 6 March, and the trip will take place on 20 March.
Take part in our website survey
We would love your thoughts on the New Writing North website. Can you find what you want? Do you come to the website for inspiration or to find something specific? Whether you are an aspiring writer, someone who wants to try creative writing, or someone looking for reading recommendations or cultural events – we want to hear from you.
Please complete our short survey (less than five minutes) before 28 February and you could be in with a chance of winning a £50 National Book Token.
Scraps: Pushing Boundaries launched at 1b Books
Congratulations to our First Edition group for a successful launch of their new publication, Scraps: Pushing Boundaries. Following an open call for work from writers aged 18-30 across the North, the First Edition members whittled the entries down to 10 pieces of writing. Then at a packed-to-the-rafters event at 1b Books in Heaton, five writers featured in the collection read their work with professionalism and grace.
A print version of the publication is available to purchase now at 1b Books, and a digital version will be on our website soon!
Northern Bookshelf Live 2026 line-up revealed
We're thrilled to be working in collaboration with libraries across the North on our Northern Bookshelf Live programme for the third year running. In 2026 we're bringing a hand-picked selection of brilliant Northern writers to libraries across the region. This year's authors are: Brian Groom, Marcia Hutchinson, Sheena Kalayil, Sarah Mellor, Sally O'Reilly, Caroline Roberts, Robert Rutherford, and Daniel Tawse.
We're working with libraries right now to get our 2026 events lined up, so keep an eye out for more info about events near you.
Enter the Libraro Prize 2026
We’re pleased to be supporting the Libraro Prize 2026. Are you a writer who is ready to become a published author? This international award for adult and crossover YA fiction offers one winner a £50,000 publishing package, including a book deal with Hachette. Deadline 15 February.
The prize also reimagines how authors are discovered, by giving readers an active role in championing emerging talent. Readers on the Libraro platform get to select the prize shortlist from the submitted manuscripts, with two £10,000 reader prizes up for grabs.
People, publishers, and podcasts
Congratulations to Northern Writers’ Award winner Patricia Grace King, who has won the 2026 Drue Heinz Literature Prize in the US for her short story collection Those Who Vanish, which will be published in September 2026 by the University of Pittsburgh Press.
Well done to two of our Northern Writers’ Award-winning writers on being longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026: Suzannah V Evans for her poetry collection Under the Blue, and Seán Hewitt for his novel Open, Heaven. The shortlist will be announced on 19 March.
Sheffield-based writer Rebecca Orwin’s debut children’s novel was published by Puffin on 8 January. The Monsters at the End of the World is a middle-grade, post-apocalypic adventure novel and a powerful tale of compassion and understanding between a girl and a so-called monster.
The latest book from North East writer Gary Heads was published on 15 January. A Gift for a Curious Mind is a sweeping novel set in Northumberland, following three characters drawn together by love, loss, and a burning desire for the truth.
Headline has acquired three new sagas by Sunderland writer Glenda Young. The first book in the deal, The Bakery Girls, tells the tale of how the famous Sunderland pink slice was first created, and will be published in 2027.
Competitions, awards, and submission opportunities
The HarperCollins Author Academy offers free training to support writers from underrepresented minority ethnic backgrounds. It offers three courses in Fiction, Non-fiction and Writing for Children, which start in May 2026 and run for six weeks online. Apply by 6 February.
Arts Council England’s Research and Development fund invests in projects where an individual develops a new idea or explores a new way of working. Creatives are invited to apply for between £1,000–£30,000, although grants are usually expected to be made up to £12,000. Deadline 26 February.
The Claret Press Short Story Competition is looking for stories under 5,000 words that reflect today’s politics. This could include themes like healthcare, the right to protest, freedom of speech, LGBTQ+ issues, and more. Winners receive up to £50 and publication on the Claret Press website. Entry fee £5, deadline 1 March.
The BBC National Short Story Award offers £15,000 to one writer demonstrating exceptional skill and artistry in the short story form. The award is for a single story of up to 8,000 words, written by an established author. Deadline 16 March.
Maximize Education invites budding children’s authors to submit a short 500-word children’s story for the chance to have their story beautifully illustrated, printed and distributed to schools across Northumberland and at Morpeth Book Festival from 21-22 March.
The Greene Door Project is a mentoring scheme by Green & Heaton literary agency for writers from underrepresented backgrounds. Ten writers will be offered a Zoom session with an agent for feedback, with the opportunity to ask questions about the publishing process. Deadline 27 March.
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize is open to emerging writers aged 25+ with short pieces of fiction or non-fiction standalone prose that grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. One winner will receive £1,000, and two runners-up will receive £500 each. Deadline 31 March.
The Brotherton Poetry Prize 2026 is open to anyone aged 18+ who hasn’t yet published a full collection of poems, offering £1,000 to the winner and publication in an anthology by Carcanet Press. This year’s judging panel includes Poet Laureate Simon Armitage alongside other acclaimed poets. Deadline 8 April.
This year’s Mo Siewcharran Prize is hosted by Bookouture, seeking romance and psychological thriller submissions from unagented and unpublished writers in the UK from a Black, Asian, mixed heritage or multiple ethnic background. The winner will receive £2,500, editorial feedback, and an introductory meeting with a literary agent. Open from 2 February until 2 May.
The Creative Future Writers’ Award 2026 for all underrepresented writers in the UK is open for poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction on the theme of ‘Material’. 15 winners will receive cash prizes, prestigious writing development opportunities, long-term support from Creative Future, and publication in an anthology. Deadline 5 May.
Freelance opportunities and jobs
Leeds Lit Fest 2026 runs from 6-14 June. Writers, publishers and performers who'd like to be involved are invited to submit a proposal for an event. Deadline 1 February.
First Story is looking for an Editorial Assistant Intern, with a preference to be based at its co-working space in Manchester. The internship is aimed at young people from target protected characteristics, primarily socio-economic disadvantage. Deadline 2 February.
Now Then!, a cultural place-based programme in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, is looking for 4 lead artists to design, lead and deliver meaningful residencies for children and young people in Sherburn, alongside 4 support artists to support the delivery of these residencies. Deadline 10 February.
First Story seeks a Programmes and Partnerships Manager (Yorkshire) to ensure that its Young Writers Programme is delivered to standard in partner schools in West Yorkshire and Humberside, and to increase First Story’s reach and profile as a cultural organisation in the region. Deadline 16 February.
The David Tebbutt Trust and Creative Access are offering an internship fund to cover the cost of intern salaries to encourage young people from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds to pursue a career in publishing. Organisations wishing to use the fund can apply by 23 February.
Having just celebrated its twentieth anniversary, Manchester Literature Festival is seeking new trustees to help shape the next chapter of the festival’s development. Deadline 1 March.
Workshops, courses, and events
Leeds Lit Fest is holding a special open mic fundraiser event at Hyde Park Book Club on 2 February. Ticket sales and any other donations go towards putting on this year's festival, which will take place in June.
An Introduction to Playwriting... 2 is a six-week online course for anyone who has prior knowledge of writing for stage, or who has completed Helen Jeffery’s introductory course. Begins 2 February. Helen is also currently taking expressions of interest for her next introductory course for beginners, starting in the spring.
Where do writers find their inspiration and how do they keep the inspiration flowing? A new event series based on the Royal Literary Fund’s podcast Collected is coming to towns across the North East, kicking off with ‘Inspired to Write’ at Middlesbrough Library on 7 February with Bob Beagrie, Christy Ducker and Harry Man.
Writing Our Health and Care Stories is an online workshop course with London Lit Lab, designed to be a space for disabled writers, carers keen to write, and writers who self-identify as having health or care needs to begin exploring and expressing their individual stories. Begins 18 February.
Lancaster’s annual Litfest returns from 13-22 March, plus special pre-festival highlights in February and early March, and the Lancaster Environment Lecture on 12 May. This year’s festival shines a spotlight on the Rights of Nature, with award-winning writers, bold ideas and immersive literary experiences for all ages.
Durham indie bookshop Collected will be hosting an evening of lively conversation with writers Christy Ducker, Kathleen Jones and Harry Man on 25 March as they delve into the Royal Literary Fund's growing archive of writers talking about the writing life, their favourite books, and their routes to publication.
If you have news that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter please contact carys@newwritingnorth.com. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 23 February 2026.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.
