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Using the Internet to get more out of your writing
Courses, Conferences & Workshops :: Creative Writing :: Directories of Writers :: Grants & Funding :: Literature Festivals & Events :: Playwriting & Scriptwriting :: Poetry :: Publishing :: Storytelling :: Writers’ Rights :: Young Writers :: Recommend a Site
Please click on one of the categories above for a list of useful websites. However, please note that Cheshire County Council accepts no responsibility for external sites or their contents.
Courses, Conferences & Workshops
Arvon Foundation
http://www.arvonfoundation.org/
From starting to write to advanced poetry, crime writing to TV comedy, this site offers information on a range of courses available at centres in Yorkshire, Shropshire, Devon and Scotland.
British Council
http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts/literature/seminars/index.htm
Details literature seminars and conferences in the UK, and overseas conferences about UK and Commonwealth literature.
Burton Manor College
http://www.burtonmanor.com/
Situated on the Wirral, offers various courses in Literature & Creative Writing. Examples include travel writing, Greek drama, and serialising the novel. Some courses offered are residential.
Literature Training
http://www.literaturetraining.com/
Aimed at writers and others involved in creating or supporting new writing and literature, provides information on training and professional development opportunities available in the UK.
Manchester Metropolitan University
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/dca
The Contemporary Arts Department at the Alsager Faculty of MMU offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in which creative writing is combined with other art forms.
NAWE
http://www.nawe.co.uk/
The National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) supports the development of creative writing of all genres and in all educational settings throughout the UK. In addition to the writing courses link, check out the list of forthcoming events.
TrAce Online Writing School
http://trace.luton.ac.uk/
TrAce offers a wide range of online courses with published writers experienced in teaching writing. Group and one-to-one sessions are available enabling participants to develop close working relationships with tutors as well as fellow students.
Ty Newydd
http://www.tynewydd.org/
Ty Newydd is the National Writers' Centre for Wales, situated on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, which runs creative writing courses in English and Welsh. All levels of experience accommodated.
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BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/howtowrite/
Get advice from Martin Amis, Robert McKee, and other successful writers on how to write novels, memoirs, radio plays and screenplays.
British Society of Comedy Writers
http://www.bscw.co.uk/
The British Society of Comedy Writers is a new professional organisation that aims to promote excellence in writing for comedy and light entertainment.
Crime Writers Association
http://www.thecwa.co.uk/
A professional group of published writers of crime books, best known for its literary award The Daggers. Site also includes news of awards, competitions, events and latest books.
Lapidus
http://www.lapidus.org.uk/
Lapidus promotes the use of the literary arts - reading, writing and performing of poetry, prose, fiction or drama, storytelling and journal writing - for personal development.
Literary Consultancy
http://www.literaryconsultancy.co.uk
The Literary Consultancy provides expert, market-informed editorial advice to writers at any level writing in English. Its manuscript assessment service provides developing writers with critical feedback and can help increase chances of publication within the UK.
Mslexia
http://www.mslexia.co.uk/
Creative writing magazine for women. Provides advice, news, reviews, interviews, competitions, events, courses, and grants information. Also includes a quarterly master class in the business and psychology of writing.
National Association of Writers Groups
http://www.nawg.co.uk/
Launched in 1995, NAWG has over 150 affiliated groups and over 100 associate (individual) members spread across the UK. Organises an annual open festival of writing, a free annual creative writing competition, a directory of writers’ groups and a bi-monthly newsletter.
Online Writing Centre
http://tracearchive.ntu.ac.uk/
from 1995 - 2005, trAce connected readers and writers online. This is where writers met to experiment and create new work via online courses, discussion forums and feature articles “creativity, collaboration and training”. This is the archive for this project.
the-phone-book.com
http://www.the-phone-book.com/
This is a digital publishing project that commissions international new works of ultra-short fiction either as an SMS or mini story.
Write Words
http://www.writewords.org.uk/
A UK writers’ community offering support, advice, interviews and articles from top writing names, as well as information on writing jobs, opportunities, competitions and news.
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Contemporary Writers in the UK
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/
Provided by the British Council in partnership with Booktrust, this is a searchable database containing profiles of UK and Commonwealth contemporary writers. Includes biographies, bibliographies, critical reviews, prizes and photographs.
Directory of Writers
http://www.artscape.org.uk/
Artscape is a multimedia directory of the arts, providing information on individual artists including writers. Useful tool for locating writers for performances, commissions or community/educational projects.
Arts Council England
http://www.arts.org.uk/
As the national development for the Arts in England, distributes public money from Government and the National Lottery to individuals, arts organisations, and national touring.
National Literacy Trust
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/
Details funding opportunities including Government and European programmes. Focuses mainly on community and educational initiatives.
NAWE
http://www.nawe.co.uk/
The National Association of Writers in Education provides a comprehensive list of funding opportunities.
Society of Authors
http://www.societyofauthors.org/
The Society administers numerous grants, funds and prizes. Grants are awarded to authors to help with research costs or to ‘buy time’ when writing a book. Benevolent funds are also available for professional authors.
Bath Literature Festival
http://www.bathlitfest.org.uk/
The annual festival takes place each March. Additional information on educational activity, places to eat and how to join the mailing list.
Buxton Festival
http://www.buxtonfestival.co.uk/
An art festival with a small literary element.
Chester Literature Festival
http://www.chesterfestivals.co.uk/
Chester's annual festival takes place each October with events running over a three week period.
Dead on Deansgate
http://www.waterstones.co.uk/dod
International festival of crime based at the Waterstone’s store on Deansgate in Manchester. Organised in association with the British Crime Writers’ Association.
Edinburgh International Book Festival
http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
Hugely popular yearly festival in August.
Festival at the Edge
http://www.festivalattheedge.org/
This is a storytelling festival which takes place each July at Stokes Barn near Much Wenlock, Shropshire.
Hay Festival
http://www.hayfestival.co.uk/
Hay is a tiny market town in the Black Mountains of the Welsh Marches. It has 1300 people and 39 bookshops. For ten days a year 50,000 visitors converge on Hay from all over the UK, Europe and America for the festival.
Literary Festivals
http://literaryfestivals.britishcouncil.org/
Searchable online database of UK Literary Festivals provided by the British Council. Selection criteria include month, region and subject. Alternatively, enter specific name or town.
Live Literature
http://www.liveliterature.net/
The Arts Council of England's listings of author events and activities. Includes information on writers available for tour and a directory of members. The listings can be searched by region, venue, type of event and date.
Northern Children’s Book Festival
http://www.ncbf.org.uk/
The largest annual children’s book festival in the UK. Most of the events involve authors working with children in schools and libraries and are not open to the public, with exception of the Gala Day.
World Book Day Reading Festival
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaign/worldbookday.html
Authors taking part include Nigella Lawson, Andy McNab, Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Wilson.
Writing on the Wall
http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/
Liverpool festival. WOW celebrates radical writing by involving new and local communities in the context of social justice, international links, schools' involvement and debates the impact of digital technologies on writing.
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Action Transport Theatre Co
http://www.actiontransporttheatre.co.uk/
Based in Ellesmere Port, Action Transport ‘reflects the ideas and experiences of children and young people, creating theatre which amazes, enriches and sometimes change lives’. Provides opportunities for young writers to create their own work as well as training for adult writers writing for young people.
BBC World Service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/howtowrite/screenplay.shtml
Online advice on how to write a screenplay including structure, writing exposition, creating characters and dialogue, reviewing and rewriting.
BBC Writers Room
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/
Another BBC site in which writers can read a first draft of a script, or get advice from 'Doctors' script editors, 'EastEnders' writers and other BBC experts.
British Film Institute
http://www.bfi.org.uk/
National agency for encouraging and conserving the arts of film and television. Includes National Film and television archive, Library, Sight & Sound magazine and support for film-makers.
Cheshire Theatre Guild
http://www.ctguild.org.uk/
The Cheshire Theatre Guild exists to support amateur theatrical societies in the Cheshire area. Holds courses and seminars on all aspects of theatre craft.
Film Council
http://www.filmcouncil.org.uk/
Information and application forms for Film Council/Lottery funding and information on all low-budget funding in the UK.
National Film & Television School
http://www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk/
Provides information about courses, workshops and events. Staff are professional screenwriters, producers and directors working in film and television.
North West Playwrights
http://www.newplaysnw.com/
Exists to develop and promote new writing for the theatre in the North West. Details information about funded projects and lists services including award schemes, script reading and writer development..
Script Factory
http://www.scriptfactory.co.uk/
One of the UK’s leading script development organisations; aims to find and develop new screenwriting talent.
Apples and Snakes
http://www.applesandsnakes.org/
London-based performance poetry organisation. Site provides information on their live poetry events and background on artists.
Bartleby
http://www.bartleby.com/
Search for bibliographical details of poets or for text.
BBC Arts - Poetry
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/poetry/index.shtml
Interactive poetry site including the Nation's Favourite Children's poem.
Bloodaxe Books
http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/
Contemporary poetry listing with poet information, links and biographies.
Carcanet
http://www.carcanet.co.uk/
Full poetry catalogue plus poet biographies, interviews and press releases.
Columbia Granger's World of Poetry
http://www.columbiagrangers.org/
Subscription service for searching poetry. Offers a free trial.
Poetry Book Society
http://www.poetrybooks.org.uk/
What are your poetry tastes? The Poetry Book Society aims to assist all readers of poetry from occasional browsers to connoisseurs. Features include reading tips and a book search catalogue.
Poetry Business
http://www.poetrybusiness.co.uk/
Publisher of contemporary poetry books, pamphlets and cassettes under the Smith/Doorstep imprint. Also publishes The North literary magazine, holds monthly writing days in Huddersfield and runs an annual Book & Pamphlet Competition.
Poetry Life
http://freespace.virgin.net/poetry.life/
Poetry Life magazine contains interviews with poets, articles on all aspects of the poetry scene in the UK and world wide, reviews, festivals, publishing, performance poetry, style and the politics of poetry, and competitions.
Poetry London
http://www.poetrylondon.co.uk/
One of Britain's leading poetry magazines, bringing you poems, reviews, features and listings.
Poetry School
http://www.poetryschool.com/
The Poetry School offers a core programme of tuition designed to encourage the reading and writing of poetry.
Poetry Society
http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/
Features include National Poetry Day, events, educational activities and resources, poetry reviews and news of forthcoming titles, an online poetry class and details of poets in residence.
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Booktrust
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/
Contains an A-Z list of UK book publishers. Also provides information about the book world.
Literature North West
http://www.literaturenorthwest.co.uk/
The North West is home to a number of significant independent presses, ranging from internationally distributed poetry and photography publishers, to innovative local magazines, graphic novel houses and key players in the regional and national literary scene.
Publishing Training Centre
http://www.train4publishing.co.uk/
Previously known as Book House Training Centre, an educational charity dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in publishing. Offers more than 60 open courses covering publishing and management skills.
Festival at the Edge
http://www.festivalattheedge.org/
In addition to running Festival at the Edge - an annual festival of storytelling, music, poetry and related arts in Much Wenlock, Shropshire - they hold a monthly storytelling club and an ongoing programme of residential workshops.
Mythstories
http://www.mythstories.com/
Based in Wem, Shropshire, Mythstories is a storytelling museum offering galleries of myths and fables. Also provides an education programme and events.
Society for Storytelling
http://www.sfs.org.uk/
Open organisation to anyone with an interest in oral storytelling, whether teller, listener, beginner or professional. Provides information on oral storytelling, storytellers and events; offers a network; produces a quarterly magazine and directory of storytellers; and holds an annual National Storytelling Week in February.
NAWE
http://www.nawe.co.uk/
The National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) supports the development of creative writing of all genres and in all educational settings throughout the UK.
Society of Authors
http://www.societyofauthors.org/
The Society of Authors is a non-profit making organisation, founded in 1884, "to protect the rights and further the interests of authors". The site provides advice on legal matters, vanity publishing, and some helpful answers to FAQs from new writers.
Writers Guild
http://www.writersguild.org.uk/
The Writers' Guild is a trade union for writers working in television, radio, film, theatre, books and multimedia. Established in 1958, it aims to ensure that writers are properly paid and credited.
Action Transport Theatre Co
http://www.actiontransporttheatre.co.uk/
Ellesmere Port based theatre company for young people. Provides opportunities for young writers to create their own work.
Kids on the Net
http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/
Post your own stories, poems and book reviews online as well as reading those already written. Provides advice on writing including some top tips by Jacqueline Wilson.
Writers Toolkit
http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/B/bookbox/writerstoolkit/home.htm
How do I begin my stories? How do I know when to stop? How do I make my characters come to life? Find answers to these questions, and more.
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