Journal

For the Winter edition of the Bookshelf we asked some brilliant northern publishers what they loved reading this year. Find out what they said and read the recommendations here.

With the nights drawing in and Christmas lights twinkling, it’s hard to remember back to summer 2020, but it did happen! This year we had to do things a little differently in the Young Writers’ team, as we soon realised we wouldn’t be able to hold our usual creative summer schools due to the restrictions of COVID-19.

Rufus Purdy, an editor and tutor on the forthcoming Write Here… Online novel-writing course, explains how to write the perfect submission letter to a literary agent.

In this post publishing director Genevieve Pegg discusses one of HarperNorth's first additions to the imprint Believe Us by Melissa Reddy and about the books they're excited to see from northern writers.

Through the Wardrobe Books is a specialist children’s bookshop in the small West Yorkshire town of Mirfield. Set in a tiny old building and oozing with character, owner Leanne lets us in beyond the wardrobe and reveals some of their favourite reads this autumn.

Up North Books is a new podcast hosted by Beth Barker and Kate Baguley celebrating all things northern literature. Read on to find out some of their recommendations in this blog.

The Little Apple Bookshop has been selling books in the heart of York since 1997.  They get visitors from all over the world as well as from all across the country. Here are a few of their must-reads!

In this interview we chat to Ann Cleeves about her ninth instalment in the DCI Vera Stanhope series The Darkest Evening, her writing process and how writing can help with personal wellbeing.

Durham Book Festival is right around the corner, so this edition of our staff reads looks at some of the brilliant books we're celebrating on our festival programme. Find out the whole programme and more at the Durham Book Festival website!

In January 2020, Linda France was appointed New Writing North and Newcastle University's Climate Writer in Residence, a year-long post. Her most recent post sees her discussing Weather by Jenny Offill.

Becci Sharrock, Project Producer for Gateshead Young Writers, reflects on the first year of our Gateshead Young Writers programme.