New Writing North

It could be said that Durham City exists because of crime. Pillaging by raiding Vikings led to the city’s formation as we know it today. Take a walk around Durham and hear how crimes gone by have been recorded through the written word. Discover how the city and its hinterland have provided a backdrop and been incorporated into crime fiction and writing.

The walk lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Please dress appropriately for the weather, ensuring sturdy footwear. The walk includes hills and the city’s woodland and riverbanks, the group will meet outside the Gala Theatre before making their way to Durham Market Place where the walk will finish.

You can download a free self-guided downloadable audio version of the walk from 9 October.

Created by Ruth Robson and including material researched as part of Writing Durham, a partnership between Durham Book Festival and Durham University.

Ruth Robson grew up in Sunderland, part of the historic County of Durham, leaving to go to university. Following a career in broadcasting in North East England, London and New York, she has since worked in the cultural and heritage sectors in the United States and back in her native North East England.

Transcripts will be provided for all audio tours.

In this episode of the Northern Bookshelf podcast, Grace, Rebecca and special guest Anna Disley treat us to some uplifting reads for Spring - whether that's a thriller with a deeply satisfying ending, or a novel that makes you laugh until you cry.

Books mentioned in the podcast can be found here on our affiliate link Bookshop list: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/northern-bookshelf-podcast-spring-2021

How to Stay Calm in a Pandemic by Dr Emma Hepburn can be downloaded here: https://www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-to-Stay-Calm-in-a-Global-Pandemic-Free-ebook.pdf

Frank Cottrell Boyce on funny books here: https://twitter.com/frankcottrell_b/status/1362357860496248832

Chill Soul Rap Instrumental by Nkato https://soundcloud.com/nkato

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/chill-soul-rap-instrumental

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/sdfcUBhRlgs

Join the Durham Book Festival team, as they discuss some of the books they recommend cosying up with over this winter. In this episode, Grace, Rebecca and Will treat us to their book highlights along with their favourite Christmas songs and films.

Books mentioned in the podcast can be found here on our Bookshop list: https://uk.bookshop.org/wishlists/28e190a66be39c45e840ea54843c7fd0c6bf2034

A special round-table discussion where New Writing North’s Chief Executive, Claire Malcolm talks to writers Lisette Auton, Carmen Marcus and Mim Skinner about the approaches that they took to creating their pieces of work. All three writers chose to collaborate with other creatives and communities to make their work. The podcast explores how they did this and what writing collaboratively with others enables.

New Narratives for the North East is a New Writing North commission with the North East Cultural Partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This series is produced for Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council festival supported by Durham University and Arts Council England. The series was made in York by Sonderbug Productions with music specially composed and recorded in Newcastle by Jayne Dent.

In episode two Laura McKenzie talks to Anne Stevenson, a major voice in British and American poetry. Born in Cambridge, UK, and brought up in New England, Stevenson lived a variously transatlantic life before settling in Co. Durham in the 1980s. Laura joined Anne in her home to talk about Durham’s shifting nature, and the different ways in which County and City have worked their way through her poetry. Anne Stevenson died in 2020.

In this episode Laura is joined by Mim Skinner, author of the poignant and darkly funny  Jailbirds and co-founder and director of Chester-le-Street’s multi-award winning community interest company REfUSE, which works to intercept food that would otherwise go into landfill. Mim has spent years delivering arts courses in prisons throughout the North East, and talks here about the women she met, their stories, and the systemic problems that underpin their experience.

Prebends’ Bridge, a much-loved landmark, was built in 1778. It replaced an earlier bridge washed away by the great flood of 1771, which caused much damage along the coast and inland water ways. The bridge famously has a quote from Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem ‘Harold the Dauntless’ (written in 1817) inscribed on a plaque on the north-west balustrade of the bridge.

The view to the south east of Framwellgate Bridge is dominated by Durham Castle and Durham Cathedral as they tower over the River Wear and the rest of the city.

A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham is written by Ruth Robson and was commissioned as part of Durham Book Festival 2020

Welcome to A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham, part of Durham Book Festival, produced by New Writing North.The County and City of Durham have been much written about, being the birthplace, residence, and inspiration for many writers of both fact, fiction, and poetry. Before we delve into stories of scribes, poets, academia, prize-winning authors, political discourse, and folklore passed down through generations, we need to know why the city is here.

A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham is written by Ruth Robson and was commissioned as part of Durham Book Festival 2020

Margery Lane Allotments occupy a space quarried to build Durham Castle and Durham Cathedral and, afterwards, the site of medieval fishponds. The cathedral and, on winter days with no leaves on the trees, the castle can be seen dominating the city skyline.

A Literary Pilgrimage of Durham is written by Ruth Robson and was commissioned as part of Durham Book Festival 2020