The Writing Life

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.

Ali Smith at Southbank Centre

We're launching our literary translation month with a provocation by Ali Smith about the diversity of international literature and how the English language is but one part of the global library. Without literary translation, does fiction and poetry run the risk of stagnation and a lingering decline? Ali first delivered this as part of our National Conversation event at the Southbank Centre in 2014.

Ali Smith at Cambridge University Library

In this episode Ali Smith explores the changing role of libraries in the 21st Century, and how reading and writing are at the heart of communities. This was first delivered as part of our National Conversation at Cambridge Festival of Ideas in 2016, in celebration of Cambridge University Library's 600th Birthday.

Joanna Walsh talks digital narratives at Worlds Literature Festival

Joanna Walsh talked to us during the hustle and bustle of the Worlds Literature Festival about cyber feminism, post-humanism and exploring digital narratives. Joanna is the author of Hotel, Vertigo, Grow a Pair and Fractals. She's been published in Granta, multiple short fiction anthologies, The Stinging Fly, The Dublin Review and others, is a regular reviewer over at The New Statesman and The Guardian and is the editor of 3AM Magazine and Catapult. She's judged the Goldsmiths Prize and is currently studying a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of East Anglia. Find out more about Writers' Centre Norwich: http://writerscentrenorwich.org.uk/ More information about Worlds: http://www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk/main-events/worlds/ Explore the International Literature Showcase: http://litshowcase.org

Jan Carson reads from her new story 'Family Circle'

Jan Carson's short story 'Family Circle' is the first new writing to emerge from the International Literature Showcase's 'Crossing Borders' series. In the podcast Jan discusses the writing of the piece and reads an extract. Use #litshowcase on Twitter to discuss this story Read the full story here: http://litshowcase.org/content/family-circle Find out more about Jan: http://litshowcase.org/writer/jan-carson/

(Re-)Writing Shakespeare with Charles Nicholl & Ros Barber

Our second Worlds 2016 podcast features Charles Nicholl and Ros Barber speaking on the theme of '(Re-)Writing Shakespeare'. Charles Nicholl is the author of numerous Elizabethan studies, including The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe (winner of the James Tait Black Prize for biography and the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for non-fiction), and The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street. He has also written an acclaimed biography of Leonardo da Vinci. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and is currently Honorary Professor of English at Sussex University. Ros Barber's critically acclaimed verse novel The Marlowe Papers was winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize, joint winner of the Author's Club Best First Novel Award and long-listed for the Women's Fiction Prize. Her second novel Devotion is currently shortlisted for the Encore Award. She is Director of Research at the Shakespearean Authorship Trust and the editor of 30-Second Shakespeare.

(Up-)Staging Shakespeare with Amit Chaudhuri & Edward Wilson-Lee

The Worlds Literature Festival is a private space, where writers can debate and ask difficult questions and issue provocations in a safe, protected, inspiring environment. We're excited to provide a glimpse into the world of Worlds, with two provocations on the theme of (Up-)Staging Shakespeare. First we have Amit Chaudhuri: novelist, critic and musician. His latest novel is Odysseus Abroad. He's won more prizes than I have time to list, including Commonwealth Writers Prize, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a professor of contemporary literature at the University of East Anglia. Following Amit is Edward Wilson-Lee, whose first book, Shakespeare in Swahili-Land, is a travelogue and cultural history of East Africa which recovers the surprising story of the playwright's central role in the region's past. Edward teaches Shakespeare and Renaissance literature in Cambridge and is currently working on his second book.

Brit Noir

Barry Forshaw chairs a panel of leading Brit Noir writers: Dreda Say Mitchell, Angela Clarke and Steve Mosby. Find out more about the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival at noirwich.co.uk.

Prepping for NaNoWriMo with Elizabeth Haynes & Mel Brown

We talk to Elizabeth Haynes and Melissa Brown about NaNoWriMo, how it's helped their writing careers and why the challenge is worth attempting. Join up at http://nanowrimo.org If you're in Norfolk, head to the kick-off event at the Millennium Library - 1pm 29th October. Follow Elizabeth and Mel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/elizjhaynes http://twitter.com/MrBrown_Author Thumbnail image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month!

Keeping it in the Family: Domestic Noir with Julia Crouch, Sarah Hilary and Christobel Kent

Three shining stars of the genre peel back the veneer of domestic bliss to reveal the dangerous underbelly of families, relationships and home lives. Domestic Noir, a term coined by Julia Crouch, has never been more popular. What makes it such a popular choice for female writers today? Part of Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2016.