New Writing South

Membership of New Writing South opens up a range of benefits to everyone involved in creative writing in the south east. Our community of writers embraces professional, emerging and those just starting out; and includes authors of fiction and non fiction, playwrights, poets, radio writers, script writers and many more.

We have members located throughout the region from Oxford to Folkestone with three local networking hubs in Rye, Portsmouth and Hedge End (Southampton) with more planned to open.

New Writing South works with and for writers.  Here are just some of the things that we do:

• Master classes, workshops and seminars from leading professional practitioners for all sorts of writing and at all sorts of levels.

• Our Writer Hubs offer a place to informally meet with other writers living near you and to curate or take part in new writing events.

• Writers share their own public and fully searchable NWS Writer Profile page, in our directory of south east writers, with whomever they want. It’s a great way to spread your words.

• Together with a range of partnership organisations we develop new writing opportunities, paid work for writers, commissions and initiate creative projects.

• Our industry events bring playwrights and authors together with producers, literary managers, publishers and other professionals.

• We encourage professional writers to collaborate with us, pitch creative ideas and get involved.

• NWS Script Reading Service offers a professional unbiased report scripts for stage, radio, film and television. What’s more reports may lead to further development work with New Writing South.

• Superb events – from a major lecture from Mark Ravenhill to a debate between Clare Short and Nawal El Sadaawi.

• Writers benefit from online, telephone and face-to-face information and advice from NWS staff.

• Our fortnightly e-news bulletin is read by over 1000 people throughout the region.  Complementing our website, e-news keeps writers in touch with regional, national and international writing opportunities.  E-news is also a great way to communicate to the wider writing community of your news.

• The Writers’ Place at New Writing South is a creative meeting and workshop space in the heart of Brighton’s famous North Laines, available for a wide community of writers and organisations.  This new comfortable space can accommodate up to 20 people and comes with free Wi-Fi.

• New Buds Awards is a small grants and award scheme for all writers living or working in the south east region.

• Side Shows offers a programme of workshop and rehearsed readings of new new work from playwrights.

• Chichester Theatre Young Playwrights – is our annual programme specially for young playwrights.

• Our Writers in Schools scheme has enabled 1000’s of young people to work creatively with a professional writer.

• NWS co-manages Writers in Schools, a national network of creative writing organisations working in schools.

• Writers@Work employs writers to take the benefits of writing creatively into the workplace.