The National Creative Writing Industry Day Conference, in partnership with Comma Press and Manchester Metropolitan University, returns for its sixth year.
The week-long online event will host a virtual line-up of inspiring speakers, giving writers the opportunity to connect with publishers and professionals in the industry and gain an insight into the publishing world.
The conference will take place from 26th – 30th October and will kick off with keynote speaker Irenosen Okojie, an award-winning author, on Monday, October 26th at 7pm.
Okojie’s debut novel, Butterfly Fish, won a Betty Trask Award in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Edinburg International First Book Award. Her writing has been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Huffington Post, and her short stories have been published internationally.
“I’m thrilled to be opening the 6th National Creative Writing Industry Conference. This vital, inspiring conference energizes aspiring writers. I’m looking forward to sharing experiences on finding my authorial voice, navigating the industry and methods to staying curious about the world which connects us to the writing process in rewarding ways.” – Irenosen Okojie
Okojie’s keynote speech is sure to inspire, and she is only the start of an incredible line up of authors, agents, and publishers for this year’s event.
Each day of the conference will offer free to join panel discussions with industry professionals, with options to book a two day ticketed package. Ticketed packages will be running from 27th – 30th October and include a workshop and a one-to-one pitching session with a literary agent.
This will give writers the opportunity to get feedback on their work, and ideas on how to improve for the future.
Unfortunately, ticketed packages have sold out, but there is still plenty to experience with the free daily panel discussions.
Panel discussions range from topics such as ‘Writers’ Inspirations and How They Use Them’, to ‘How the Publisher Works With You’.
Industry professionals such as Jonathan de Peyer from Harper North, Poppy Stimpson from Pushkin Press, author Sarah Butler, Manchester Met lecturer David Cooper will host events discussing the ins and outs of writing, finding inspiration, publishing, and preparing your work for submission.
To find out more about the event, and join the daily discussions, check out the National Creative Writing Industry Conference page to see a full schedule of events.
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