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‘Writers have known for centuries that Norwich is a dreamy city.’ – Ian McEwan
Deeply rooted in a dreamy city.
When Norwich became England’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2012, author and UEA alumnus Ian McEwan said: ‘Literature has deep roots in the beautiful city of Norwich and it was a natural first choice for UNESCO.’ And he was right.
Once home to Julian of Norwich, the first woman to be published in English, the City of Stories became the UK’s first City of Refuge for persecuted writers and is where the National Centre for Writing is based. It’s a humming hub of history, writing, and creativity – the perfect place to host UEA Live.
New Writing Live
New Writing Live is the little sibling festival of UEA Live and is run, programmed and promoted entirely by UEA students. They are the bridge between UEA’s current student writers and those that are breaking into the world of professional authorship. Every New Writing Live event welcomes one or more alumni of Creative Writing UEA to share their recently published work alongside fresh work by the next generation of UEA writers. All events are free, fun and open to everyone. New Writing Live offers the chance to meet poets, playwrights, novelists and storytellers at every stage of artistic development, and to share, question and grow together as artists. We are pleased to support New Writing Live alongside newwriting.net
New Writing
New Writing is a collaboration between UEA Publishing Project and the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, home of the world-renowned UEA Creative Writing MA. It showcases new writing from UEA students, faculty and alumni, in the fields of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, work in translation and critical writing, along with commissioned work from national and international literature projects. It is part of the UEA Publishing Project umbrella with ongoing support from UEA and the British Centre for Literary Translation.
Publishing Project
UEA Publishing Project presently operates through four main imprints; Strangers Press, which publishes short stories in translation, from internationally acclaimed and newcomers alike; Boiler House Press, a literary publisher of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and everything in-between; Egg Box Publishing, which is run in partnership with students to promote their work and help them gain experience in the field of publishing; and, most recently, Full Circle Editions, a publisher of writers and artists of the region with a strong local and oral history component, as well as exquisitely produced new versions of old classics.
British Archive for Contemporary Writing (BACW)
The British Archive for Contemporary Writing (BACW) holds the private archive of the Nobel Laureate, Doris Lessing, as well as literary material from prize-winning authors including Malcolm Bradbury, JD Salinger, Roger Deakin, Lorna Sage, Nadine Gordimer, Lee Child, and W.G. Sebald.
The BACW collection also includes more than 450 audio and video recordings of the UEA Literary Festival (now UEA Live). The collections are available to students and scholars, and to interested members of the public, by prior arrangement.
Creative Writing at UEA
Home to the UK’s first creative writing MA, the University of East Anglia has been at the forefront of pioneering excellence in creative writing for the past 50 years. With more published writers than any other institution in the UK, our esteemed, prize-winning alumni have become some of the most distinguished voices of the contemporary era.
In 2020-2021 we celebrated the past, interrogate the present and sparked debates about the future as we marked five decades as a global leader in creative writing. UEA Live’s 2020-21 programme paid tribute to the course and its legacy, with a series of events featuring alumni and past and present visiting professors of the creative writing course.
Waterstones
Waterstones in Norwich is the largest bookshop in England’s UNESCO City of Literature, offering students and all book lovers an ever-changing range of books.
For 25 years Waterstones have been hosting UEA Live book signings, giving our audiences the chance to meet their favourite authors in person. Their passionate team are always on hand with recommendations and advice. Books can be purchased from online here.
National Centre for Writing
The National Centre for Writing celebrates and explores the artistic and social power of creative writing and literary translation. Their on-going programme of innovative collaborations engages writers, literary translators and readers, in projects that support new voices and new stories. They’re based at the historic Dragon Hall in Norwich, where workshops and mentoring are regularly available for writers at all levels, both face-to-face and online. Projects range from major international partnerships to vibrant festivals and the City of Literature strand of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
Photography by:
Hannah Hutchins
VisitNorwich: City of Stories
VisitNorwich are a team of local and industry experts working alongside VisitBritain and VisitEngland to reach international and national networks. They are committed to bringing projections, suggestions and actions together, driving prosperity for everyone in our fine city. With an exciting, successful rebrand in 2019 leading their creative direction, they aim to promote the uniqueness and creativity of the city, making a big impact in the City of Stories. A not-for-profit, they’re part of Norwich Business Improvement District, and partly funded by Norwich City Council along with their own paid Partnership scheme.
Head East
Head East is a new year-long campaign celebrating the rich diversity of arts, culture and heritage in and around Norfolk and Suffolk. If you are looking for a great day out or experience across the counties – there is an abundance of places, spaces and events to explore close to home, for a day, an overnight stay or longer. With something for everyone, you can search for the latest news and updates at HeadEast_UK on Instagram or here on the Visit East of England website.
Hannah Hutchins
Noirwich Crime Writing Festival
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival is the region’s largest annual celebration of crime writing and one of the fastest-growing literary festivals in the UK. Many incredible crime writers have attended the festival in recent years, including Val McDermid, Attica Locke, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Louise Doughty, James Runcie, Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Peter James, Anthony Horowitz, Nicci French, Paula Hawkins and Benjamin Black.
Noirwich is about the reading and the writing of crime fiction. The festival explores how the genre works and where it is going, thanks to the unique connection with the University of East Anglia’s creative writing department. Find out more at www.noirwich.co.uk