The Writing Life

Introducing the National Centre for Writing

The National Centre for Writing launched at Dragon Hall in Norwich this month. To celebrate and explore what that means, we talk with Chief Executive Chris Gribble and Programme Director Peggy Hughes about the ambitions and aims of organisation and what it means for writers around the UK. Hosted by Simon Jones, writer and Digital Marketing Manager at the National Centre for Writing. Find out more about the National Centre for Writing: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/introducing-the-national-centre-for-writing/ Mentioned events: Dragon Hall Salon: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/dragon-hall-salon/ Translating Comics: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/comics-its-not-just-in-the-bubble/ Family Drop-in Day: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/open-house/ Noirwich: https://noirwich.co.uk/ Useful links: Tilted Axis ‘Translating Feminisms’ Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/71029616/translating-feminisms-poetry-chapbooks-from-across All about the Worlds 2018 symposium: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/worlds/ Peggy’s Indie Bookshop Tour: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/norfolk-bookshops/ Poetry Translation Centre: http://www.poetrytranslation.org/ English PEN:https://www.englishpen.org/ Free Word Centre: https://www.freewordcentre.com/ University of East Anglia: https://www.uea.ac.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples: http://sonicfruit.co.uk/

Tim Clare's Couch to 80k Writing Bootcamp

Writer, performer and tutor Tim Clare came in to talk about how to form a writing habit, taking criticism and his Couch to 80k Writing Bootcamp. Couch to 80k Bootcamp: http://www.timclarepoet.co.uk/couchto80kwritingbootcamp/ Tim's website: http://www.timclarepoet.co.uk/ Death of 1000 Cuts: https://soundcloud.com/timclare Tim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimClarePoet

Letyar Tun & Lucas Stewart

Today we've got an interview with Leytar Tun, a writer and translator from Myanmar who spent 18 years in prison, 14 of them on death row. He was here with writer and editor Lucas Stewart to talk about Hidden Words.Hidden Worlds, an anthology of short stories from the region. The original version featured 28 short stories in 12 languages and 11 different scripts, which illustrates the uniqueness of Myanmar's literature scene. Leytar and Lucas discuss the challenges of writing in ethnic languages on computers without proper input and font support, and how writers navigate the complexities of censorship in an evolving cultural and political climate. Visit https://www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk/article/hidden-words-hidden-worlds to find out more and read Letyar's extracts.

Voices from Japan: Episode Three - Aoko Matsuda

Episode three in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. This is the second of a two-part conversation about Aoko Matsuda, one of Japan's most promising young writers. Aoko has published four collections of stories; English translations of her work include “Photographs Are Images” and “Love Isn’t Easy When You Are The National Anthem” (trans. Jeffrey Angles) in Monkey Business, “Smartening Up” (trans. Polly Barton) in Granta, and “Planting” published as part of the Waseda Bungaku Japan Earthquake Charity Literature project (trans. Angus Turvill). Here, Polly speaks to Angus Turvill, a UK-based translator who has translated two pieces by Aoko Matsuda. This includes the KESHIKI chapbook 'The Girl Who is Getting Married'.

Voices from Japan: Episode Two - Aoko Matsuda

Episode two in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. This is the first of a two-part conversation with Aoko Matsuda, one of Japan's most promising young writers. Aoko has published four collections of stories; English translations of her work include “Photographs Are Images” and “Love Isn’t Easy When You Are The National Anthem” (trans. Jeffrey Angles) in Monkey Business, “Smartening Up” (trans. Polly Barton) in Granta, and “Planting” published as part of the Waseda Bungaku Japan Earthquake Charity Literature project (trans. Angus Turvill). Aoko visited Norwich UNESCO City of Literature in August 2017 for a month-long writing residency, alongside Polly Barton. Here, Aoko and Polly are joined in conversation by Motoyuki Shibata, editor of the English-language literary journal Monkey Business, as well as of the Japanese-language journal Monkey.

Voices from Japan: Episode One - Keshiki

The first in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. Episode One focuses on KESHIKI, an exciting series of eight chapbooks showcasing some of the most talented writers working in Japan today. KESHIKI, published by Strangers Press (part of the UEA Publishing Project) in February 2017, offers unusual perspectives on contemporary Japan from well-known names and new voices – many of which have a particular connection to Norwich, UNESCO City of Literature. In the first of a two-part conversation, Polly speaks to editors Kate Griffin and Phil Langeskov about the KESHIKI series in general.

Ones to Watch - with Abir Mukherjee, A.A. Dhand and Michelle Davies

Abir Mukherjee, A.A.Dhand and Michelle Davies reveal the secrets behind finding inspiration, planning and writing a debut novel, getting an agent and how they got their big breaks. Part of the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2016.

From Fact To Fiction with Duncan Campbell

Duncan Campbell chaired this panel at Noirwich 2016, joined by Jane Corry and Kate Rhodes, to discuss research and the relationship between fact and ficiton. Get tickets for the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2017 from http://noirwich.co.uk

Euro Noir: Don Bartlett, Anja de Jager & Nadia Dalbuono

Returning to our Noirwich 2016 podcasts, here is the Euro Noir panel hosted by the inimitable Barry Forshaw and featuring Anja de Jager, Nadia Dalbuono and renowned translator Don Bartlett. Tickets for the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2017 are now available from http://noirwich.co.uk

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: A Life in Translation

In January we had the rare opportunity to bring one of the giants of world literature to speak at Goldsmiths in London as part of our Translation In The Margins event. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o is a novelist, essayist, playwright, journalist, editor, academic and social activist who has consistently championed the development of African literature. Ngugi delivers an exclusive commissioned lecture, ‘My Life in Translation’, followed by a Q&A on his new memoir, Birth of a Dream Weaver​, with Jon Morley, Programme Director at WCN. This event was organised by Writers' Centre Norwich in association with The Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths University of London and Dr Deirdre Osborne.