National Centre for Writing
The National Centre for Writing celebrates and explores the artistic and social power of creative writing and literary translation. Our on-going programme of innovative collaborations engages writers, literary translators and readers, in person and online, in projects that support new voices and new stories, and respond to the rapidly changing world of writing.
We’re based at the historic Dragon Hall in Norwich, where workshops and mentoring are regularly available for writers at all levels, both face-to-face and online. Projects range from major international partnerships to vibrant festivals such as the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival and the City of Literature strand at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
What is ‘experimental fiction’?: Clara Chow on travelling, writing about taboo subjects, and having
Translation Odysseys: Life as a Literary Translator
Writing grief and the body: Lisabelle Tay & Heather Parry in conversation with Yan Ge
Sarah Moss on 'Ripeness' and writing flawed characters
KANATA: New Voices from Japan
The poetry of motherhood: Erica Hesketh and Jenny Pagdin on language, recovery, and balance
Meet the Emerging Translator Mentees 2025–26
Stephen Fry supports Norwich UNESCO City of Literature's new five year strategy
A writer’s journey: Vanessa Bell on book tours, friendship, and revisiting old projects
Representation in children’s literature: Hayley Wells on The Spectacular Suit
Reimagining classics: Pat Barker on the Regeneration Trilogy
Writing contemporary crime fiction: Val McDermid on Past Lying
Becoming a published author: Wen-Yi Lee on representation, writing residencies, and building a reade
Writing between genres: Michael Pedersen on Muckle Flugga
World building in horror fiction: Julia Armfield on Private Rites
The world of Substack: Eleanor Anstruther & Simon K Jones on serial fiction
Meet The World: Queer Desires
Writing love stories: André Aciman on Room on the Sea
Meet The World - The Anatomy of Religion
The power of language: Eimear McBride on The City Changes Its Face
Meet The World: Writing the Monstrous Body
Writing strong female characters: Joanna Miller on The Eights
Meet the World: Translation as Archive
The Rise of Romantasy with Sangu Mandanna
Emerging Translator Showcase 2025
Meet The World: Tasting Translation
Voices of Africa: Multilingualism in African Theatre
Writing about sports and masculinity with George Harrison, Alex Allison, and Ashley Hickson-Lovence
Meet the mentees — announcing the Emerging Literary Translators 2024/25