Turn Up For The Books is a partnership project between New Writing North, English PEN and the Women’s Prize Trust, designed to give young people aged 16-25 an insight into careers within literature.

New Writing North are looking for 15 young people currently living in the North to participate in the programme, which will involve:

    • Four industry based workshops in September/October 2021, focused on Programming, Demystifying Publishing, Jobs in Books and Reviewing and Content. These will be led by diverse panels of professionals from across the sector, and will include practical exercises as well as real world insights
    • The opportunity to programme an exclusive event for Durham Book Festival in October 2021
    • The opportunity to review an event at Durham Book Festival 2021
    • Exclusive access to all digital and live events across the Festival

Places are limited so please apply via this form if you are interested. The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 5 September. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 10 September.

If you have any questions regarding the programme please get in touch with New Writing North on youngwriters@newwritingnorth.com.

Turn Up For The Books is part of English PEN’s year-long centenary programme Common Currency, which features events, residencies, campaigns and conversations across the UK and Ireland, on the themes of free speech and democracy, language and ideas crossing borders, and celebrating women. Common Currency is supported by a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England, British Council, Cockayne Grants for the Arts – a donor advised fund of London Community Foundation, and PEN International.vOur partners

New Writing North was established in 1996 to support writers in the north of England to fulfil their creative ambitions. NWN’s work encompasses a wide range of ventures: talent development, awards and prizes, festivals and events and programmes to inspire young people, as well as producing Durham Book Festival on behalf of Durham County Council. New Writing North Young Writers is their programme for young people, supporting them to express ideas, to work with professional writers and artists, to create and share new work and to meet other young writers.

English PEN is one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations, championing the freedom to write and read. We are the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers’ association with 145 centres in more than 100 countries. With the support of our members – a community of readers, writers and activists – we protect freedom of expression whenever it is under attack, support writers facing persecution around the world, and celebrate contemporary international writing with literary prizes, grants, events, and our online magazine PEN Transmissions. English PEN’s work is made possible through core funding from Arts Council England and the TS Eliot Foundation alongside the support of members, project partners and Silver PEN partners.