Pictured: Travis Alabanza speaking with Juno Dawson at The Coast is Queer.
New Writing South is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). We have recently been awarded three-year funding from 2023-26 to deliver our mission to inspire, encourage and shout about the best, most diverse, most thrilling writing in the South East of England.
We strive to support the careers of writers who still, a quarter of the way through the 21st century, find it difficult to get their books on shelves. From our fabulous queer literature festival – the only one of its kind in the UK – to residencies for writers of colour in the astonishing architecture of West Dean College, (and everything in-between (masterclasses, courses, writing groups, community projects and more) we champion underrepresented writers and help them be the best they can be. We are ambitious for our writers and passionate about bringing their work to adventurous readers.
Find out more about the Chair we are seeking, and read more about what we’re looking for in new Trustees.
Join New Writing South as Chair of the Board of Trustees
The Chair we are seeking
As we move into a secure 3-year funding period from Arts Council England, New Writing South is seeking a new Chair who shares a vision of an equitable future where everyone is empowered to write and enjoy writing in all its forms. We are looking for a Chair who can help us make this vision a reality, who is ambitious and will build on our successes, bringing fresh thinking to push boundaries and further strengthen our small but dynamic organisation.
We are looking for a team approach at Board level so the Chair will lead our committed, skilled group of new and existing Trustees to work in ways that are genuinely inclusive. They will be an influential, supportive leader who builds confidence and consensus.
Responsibilities will include chairing and facilitating meetings, giving direction to policy, providing leadership for the CEO, and acting as a figurehead for the organisation, from time to time representing NWS at functions, meetings and in the media. The Chair will also authorise action to be taken between meetings of the full Board when necessary, all while bringing impartiality and objectivity.
If you believe that creative writing can make a real contribution to an open, diverse society and are ready to take on Board leadership at a time of significant development, opportunity and challenge, we would love to hear from you.
For more information, please download our Recruitment Pack (links below) or contact New Writing South CEO, Lesley Wood at lesley@newwritingsouth.com
New Writing South serves a diverse community and we encourage applications from people with a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences. People from the global majority, who are LGBTQIA+, disabled and/or from working class or low socio-economic backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.
The deadline to apply is 5pm, Wednesday 15th February.
Interviews will be held the week commencing 20th February.
Download recruitment pack:
- Recruitment pack (with images – for digital viewing)
- Recruitment pack (large print document version)
- Recruitment pack (version for printing)
Join New Writing South as a Trustee
New Writing South is seeking three new Trustees to help us grow our vision –
- to make The Coast is Queer literature festival truly international;
- to create safe and welcoming physical space(s) where all writers, but especially writers from Black, Asian and Global Majority backgrounds, can thrive;
- to promote and bring working class voices to the fore; and
- to motivate readers to seek out and be rewarded by excellent, diverse writing.
The Trustees we are seeking
We are looking for people who genuinely get and champion diversity, who are ambitious and will bring fresh thinking to help us, as an organisation, push boundaries and grow.
We are not necessarily looking of people with previous Trustee experience – we can provide full and appropriate training and induction for all new Trustees. Nor are we looking for Trustees to be involved at a day-to-day operational level – we don’t need anyone to tell us to send more tweets on a Tuesday.
We do need new Trustees who will help us shape the big decisions, set strategy, develop the locations and the writers and audiences we engage with. And, of course, Trustees who share our passion for writing and believe in the contribution it can make to an open, diverse society.
Is this you?
Are you a champion of diversity?
Will you join the New Writing South team and help drive the next part of our journey?
Or do you know someone who can?
If so, we would love to tell you more about the role of New Writing South Trustee and encourage you to apply.
Please download our Recruitment Pack (links below) or contact lesley@newwritingsouth.com for more information.
Download recruitment pack:
- Recruitment pack (with images – for digital viewing)
- Recruitment pack (large print document version)
- Recruitment pack (version for printing)
