As usual, there are lots of exciting events happening in the Centre for New Writing at the University of Leicester this Spring. Here (below) are some of them. All are free and open to everyone, though please do register in advance for the workshops with jt265@le.ac.uk because places can be limited.
Centre for New Writing events, Spring 2025
On Wednesday 26 February, 4-6pm in Attenborough room 1.11, David Barker will give a guest talk on The Publishing Industry in the UK. The talk is open to all. Dr David Barker is Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby and Programme Leader for MA Publishing. Previously, he worked in the publishing industry for twenty years, starting out as an editorial assistant in London in the 1990s before moving to New York to work for Continuum there, becoming Editorial Director. When Continuum was acquired by Bloomsbury in 2011, David became Publishing Director for the Humanities and Social Sciences and moved back to work in Bloomsbury's London office. He has been at the University of Derby since 2017. In this talk, David will give an overview of the UK publishing industry, discussing different roles, departments and market sectors. In particular, he will offer insight and advice on finding an entry-level role within this competitive industry, and will be happy to answer any questions about working in publishing or getting published yourself.
On Wednesday 12 March, 1-2pm in Attenborough room 2.06, Melanie Abrahams will be giving a guest talk on "The Literature Ecology and What It Can Do for Me: Curating and Producing Work (and Life)." This session will explore the literature ecology and the ways that you can design and produce the career you'd most like to have - or at the very least - explore more deeply the options you have before you. It will look at the role literature can play in helping you to curate and produce your work and life and will include some perspectives and tips on making the most of your interests and resources. The session will include a Q & A session to provide an opportunity to bring and ask questions and dig a little deeper into the themes being explored. This talk is suitable for anyone who works in literature or is planning to whether you are a student, publisher, writer or interested in developing a role that has not yet been created. Whether you know what you wish to do at this stage, the session will encourage you to think about your skills and abilities and how you can apply them to your chosen career. Melanie Abrahams FRSA Hon FRSL is a curator, visiting lecturer and creative producer who has channelled a love of words and books into initiatives. She consistently pushes for greater diversity in the arts, with a focus on narratives of race, class, background and mixed race identities. Melanie is Creative Director of organisation Renaissance One and spoken word project Tilt, both of which have championed literature/spoken word artforms through events, mentoring and learning for over twenty years. She has curated festivals and programmes including Caribbean Fest (marking Caribbean creativity), Modern Love a spoken word project exploring contemporary love and relationships which toured the UK and Europe, and an events series on "otherness" for the Bronte Parsonage and Museum (This, That & The Other). You can register for the event in advance here.
On Friday 14 March, 1-3pm in SBB room 2.05, author Jane McVeigh will give a writing masterclass: "Turning Life into Story: An Introduction to Writing Biography." As Claire Tomalin writes, "I think the impulse behind writing biography is the same as the impulse that lies behind most writing. It’s the ability to see stories, to tell stories" (Claire Tomalin in Lives for Sale). Places are limited, so please sign up in advance by emailing hdw5@le.ac.uk.
The University of Leicester's annual Literary Leicester Festival runs from Wednesday 19 March to Saturday 22 March 2025. All the events are free, and you can see the programme here. As part of the festival, we will be running our annual Creative Writing Student Showcase. This will take place 4.30pm-5.45pm on Wednesday 19 March. You can see details here. If you are a current or ex-student of Creative Writing at Leicester, and would like to perform at the event, please email jt265@le.ac.uk in advance.
On Monday 24 March 10am-12 in Attenborough room 2.10, author Dan Powell will give a writing masterclass: "Finding the Story Moment: Prose Fiction and (Pre-)Closure." The workshop is part of the MA in Creative Writing, but is open to all. If you'd like to attend, please email jt265@le.ac.uk in advance, because places are limited.
And finally, on Tuesday 13 May, 11am-1230pm in Attenborough room 1.11, Prof. Kit de Waal will be giving a writing masterclass: "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Building Believable Characters." This is part of the MA Creative Writing's annual Dissertation day, but the morning workshop is open to all. If you'd like to register for the event in advance, please email jt265@le.ac.uk.
