Would you like some advice on developing your writing, perhaps a bit of inspiration to get started, or feedback on something you are working on? Then New Writing North’s young writers’ groups could be the thing for you. Sessions are held on a fortnightly basis and all are led by a professional writer. They offer young writers aged 12-19 a chance to share their work, learn new skills and give and receive feedback in a creative and supportive atmosphere.

You’ll also have the chance to have your work published in Cuckoo Quarterly, the online literary magazine for young people at www.cuckooquarterly.com
 
Locations
Newcastle
Room 4, City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AS

Hexham
The attic, Queen’s Hall, Hexham, NE46 3LS

Durham
Alington House, North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET

Dates
3/17 December 2011
14/28 January 2012
11/25 February 2012
10/24 March 2012
14/28 April 2012
12/26 May 2012
9/23 June 2012
7/21 July 2012

All sessions take place between 11am- 1pm and are completely free to attend. There is no need to book in advance – just turn up and get involved.

For more information or if you are interested in setting up a Young Writers’ Group in another North East location, contact Laura at  laura@newwritingnorth.com or call 0191 233 3850.

New Writing North would like to thank the Sir James Knott Trust and the Clore Duffield Foundation for supporting our work with young writers.

Cuckoo Quarterly is a new online literary magazine led, written and edited by young people aged between 12-19. Our aim is to provide a platform for the best young writing and to be accessible and attractive to a wide readership. You can read Edition 1 at www.cuckooquarterly.com.

We’re looking for submissions of poetry and prose, short stories and reviews, opinion and imagination. It can be work that fits the categories laid out in previous editions or entirely different; don’t feel constrained by form or genre. We accept submissions from all over the world. To submit, email your work and a two-sentence biography to editors@cuckooquarterly.com.

If you would like to get more involved with Cuckoo Quarterly and are based in the North East, you can join the editorial committee. We’re keen to hear from young people interested in section editing, design, marketing and web management. No experience is necessary and meetings take place regularly in Newcastle upon Tyne. Email us at the address above.

During the 2011 school holidays, New Writing North ran three successful summer schools for young writers aged between 12-19. Taking place in Hexham, Durham and Newcastle, the summer schools gave young writers the opportunity to experiment with new forms and develop their writing skills by working with professional bloggers, journalists, poets, and screenwriters. Some of the work produced can be seen in Edition 1 of Cuckoo Quarterly.

Plans are currently being hatched for 2012 summer writing schools that will be bigger and better than ever. If you’d like to register your interest, contact Laura at laura@newwritingnorth.com or call 0191 233 3850 for more information.

We also ran summer holiday projects in 2009 and 2010, and before that ran a series of summer schools aimed at young writers in towns across the region.

Our work in community and education contexts is often project-based and time-limited. We often find our projects spark a real interest in individual young people and they find a talent or interest they didn’t realise they had. In 2011 professional writers have written poetry with young mums in Byker, written songs at the Millin Centre, North Benwell, a Christmas pantomime at Byker and Walker YMCA and created books at West End Women and Girls Centre.

Participants in these projects have gone on to join our young writers’ networks and writing groups and have submitted work to Cuckoo Quarterly.

In 2010 and 2011 we worked with NewcastleGateshead’s Juice festival to create Poetry on the Move and Poetry on the Metro. Submissions were invited from young poets across the city and the resulting poems and photographs featured on posters and carriage cards throughout the Tyne and Wear Metro system.

We would like to be able to offer them further ongoing support outside of school on a year-round basis, to develop and encourage their interest.

New Writing North would like to thank the Newcastle City Council for their support for our outreach work.