New Writing North

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England.

In a special, live edition of Rich Seams, Andrew begins his journey to dig down into the place of poetry in the North; he’s joined by North East based poets Jake Campbell, John Challis and Degna Stone to think about who’s voices poetry allows us to hear, who we still need to hear more from and whether there is a particularly northern idea of poetry. Recorded live at Durham Book Festival on Saturday 13th October at Durham Town Hall.

To find out more about the Rich Seams podcast, visit durhambookfestival.com.

Rich Seams was commissioned for Durham Book Festival. Durham Book Festival is a Durham County Council event, produced by New Writing North with support from Durham University and Arts Council England.

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England.

Our launch episode, in which we tear open the seams of poetry in the North to examine its legacy, its present condition and where it might be heading in the future. Andrew McMillan talks to Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North about the ideas behind Rich Seams and takes the measure of northern poetry with Professor Stephen Regan from Durham University and Alice Mullen from the Poetry Book Society. Recorded at the Old Cinema Launderette, Durham City as part of Durham Book Festival in October 2018.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, palliative care specialist Kathryn Mannix talks to Professor Douglas Davies about her new book With the End in Mind, an exploration of one of the biggest taboos in our society and the only certainty we all share: death. They discuss how important it is to re-claim public understanding of death, and how it allows us to plan and relate to our dearest during the last part of our, or their, lives.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, award-winning author Sarah Perry introduces her new novel Melmoth, a chilling and deeply moving book that speaks urgently to our times.

Sarah is in conversation with Professor Simon James of Durham University, and discusses her writing structure (or lack thereof), plans for her future books and how her upbringing has influenced her taste for the gothic.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

Warning: contains content which some listeners may find upsetting.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, Professor Dame Sue Black, introduces her new book All That Remains: A Life in Death. This gripping memoir provides a fascinating look at death – its causes, our attitudes towards it, and the forensic scientist's way of analysing it. Sue is in conversation with Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode Jordanian screenplay writer Mofleh Al Adwan and poet Linda France discuss their experiences taking part in the Alta'ir creative exchange. This cross-cultural exchange between Durham and Amman was established to help raise the profile of British writing in Jordan and of Arab writing and culture in the UK.

Alta’ir is a partnership project between Durham Book Festival/New Writing North, the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), St Mary’s College, Durham University, Dr Fadia Faqir and the British Council.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode poet, author and playwright, Owen Sheers talks to Professor Stephen Regan about The Green Hollow, his moving and beautifully rendered film poem about the 1966 Aberfan mining disaster. The two discuss the way the disaster affected the community of Aberfan, and how it created a ‘radical culture of the betrayed.’

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, New Statesman editor Jason Cowley and Sky News Correspondent Lewis Goodall introduce their new books, and discuss one of the most turbulent periods in UK political history – from the fall of Blair to the rise of Corbyn and Brexit. This discussion is chaired by Dr Claire Sutherland of Durham University.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at durhambookfestival.com.

This New Writing North podcast was recorded at Durham Book Festival 2018. In this episode, Booker-prize winning author Pat Barker introduces her new book The Silence of the Girls, in conversation with Dr Anne Whitehead of Newcastle University.

The Silence of the Girls is a brilliant reimagining of the legendary Trojan War told instead from the overlooked perspective of Briseis, one of many women silenced by history. Pat talks about the importance of female perspectives in history, the parallels between The Silence of the Girls and her award-winning Regeneration and the relevance of reimagining the classics for modern day readers.

Durham Book Festival is commissioned by Durham County Council and produced by New Writing North. Find out more about the festival at http://durhambookfestival.com.

For Crime Story 2018 award-winning writer Denise Mina was commissioned to write a thrilling crime story about murder, trafficking and the drug trade. The story was the focus of a series of panel events in which real police, lawyers and criminologists explored how they would have approached solving the crime in real life. Here she talks with Professor Katy Shaw of Northumbria University about her work and writing life, how to write a truly interesting victim and just how to solve her intriguing mystery.

Crime Story is a unique event for crime writers and readers, produced by New Writing North and Northumbria University. Find out more about Crime Story here: https://bit.ly/2tGQNSD