Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, New Writing North supports the development of professional skills for writers in the north, as well as encouraging writing and reading for pleasure and wellbeing.

Courses and workshops delivered by industry experts for aspiring writers this autumn include writing for children and young adults, a mindfulness for creativity workshop, writing crime fiction, and a workshop exploring the foundations of fiction.

Also, building on its work developing screenwriting opportunities in the north, industry leaders will gather for a dedicated weekend of talks, workshops, and networking in Newcastle. Screenwriting Weekender [31 Jan-2 Feb] sponsored by North East Screen, will feature agents, production companies and commissioners. A limited number of early bird tickets are now available.

Anna Disley, Executive Director of Programme and Impact at New Writing North, said: “It’s a huge part of our work to help develop young talent, and to ensure those undeserved in our communities have access to creative opportunities. We’re proud to be uncovering, supporting, and providing career-making opportunities for writing talent at all stages, with thanks to the support from our partners.”

Autumn Programme highlights include a series of literary events at Waterstones Newcastle and Tyneside Cinema. Amongst these are the former Guardian journalist and columnist for Vogue, Bella Mackie, will talk about her sharp and twisted new murder mystery, What a Way to Go. It follows her million copy #1 bestselling debut novel, How to Kill Your Family.

Louise Doughty, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Apple Tree Yard and Platform Seven, will discuss her latest novel, A Bird in Winter, with rising star Charlotte Vassell in a Faber Fiction event. Vassell’s The In Crowd is a bitingly witty and compulsive novel about the bad behaviour of the rich and powerful.

There will also be a panel discussing climate-themed poetry, Four Seasons in One Poem. Aboriginal writer Graham Akhurst joins the award-winning poet Yvette Henry Holt from the Bidjara, Yiman and Wakaman Nations of Queensland, alongside the British poet Linda France, who was Climate Writer in Residence for New Writing North and Newcastle University.

Let’s not forget the Durham Book Festival, which returns 11-13 October. The Durham County Council festival is produced by New Writing North with support from Durham University and Arts Council England.

The Autumn Programme previews four of its headline authors before the full festival line-up is announced on 14 August. These are Rebecca F. Kuang, the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Yellowface, the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. The Booker Prize winning author Alan Hollinghurst, who will be celebrating Our Evenings, his first novel in over a decade, and the former Makar of Scotland, Jackie Kay, who brings her long-awaited new poetry collection May Day to the festival. Also, bestselling American author Jodi Picoult will discuss her latest novel, By Any Other Name.

New Writing North host year-round informal, community-led groups for writers and creatives across the North-East, including creative workshops for older residents, creative drop-in sessions, and a multilingual creative writing group. Autumn also sees the return of the flagship Northern Writers’ Awards, which are open from 26 November 2024 until 6 February 2025, with a wide range of awards, including categories for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young writers.

The awards are supported by a wide range of partners, including Northumbria University, Arts Council England, and Channel 4, and feature the Northern Debut Awards, which support as-yet unpublished writers with promising novels, collections, and memoirs. This year also features the Hachette Children’s Novel Awards 2025 for debut manuscripts of middle-grade and early teen fiction, which are open from 22 October 2024 until 13 January 2025. These Awards will support two new writers through a bespoke development programme devised by New Writing North and Hachette. Each writer will receive a £3000 bursary to help develop their work towards being ready to submit for publication.

New Writing North works with a diverse range of partners across higher education, publishing, literature, media, healthcare, and local government to create opportunities across the region.

For more information: Autumn-Programme-2024-DSP.pdf (newwritingnorth.com) and see the New Writing North website for full listings

Washington, Tyne and Wear combines the best of both worlds: and I speak from the bottom of my heart, as my mum lived in Brady Square, Columbia, Washington where the newly vamped Columbia Community Association Centre https://www.facebook.com/columbiacommunityassociation/ now thrives. This is thanks to the committee’s endeavours, helped by volunteers, and local businesses, all led by the indomitable Marion Taylor and Red Shoes Bob. Frost Magazine followed their progress throughout, which of course meant I had to visit, toting along Dick who insisted on being there, because he loved every minute of the fun and catch up. Then we would scoot along to the Village, and the Washington Arms (do try their fish and chips) and we’d also have a look at Washington Old Hall (above), the ancestral home of the 1st US President, George Washington – yes really.

Did you know that Bryan Ferry comes from Washington, And… And… My mum knew his mum. Talking of my mum. Her dad ran the Long Pull, or is it Pole. The locals seem to disagree. I just knew it as Uncle Stan’s shop, previously my grandpa’s, and where my sisters and I would stay in the summer holidays. Uncle Stan put brown sauce on his fry up breakfast – we weren’t allowed sauce by mum – so I was in awe.

My grandma died when Mum was 2, in 1916. A photo was taken of Uncle Stan and Mum, Little Annie as she was called, at a proper photographer to send to her father away at war. Clothes were hired from the photographer as they were poor, but they wore their own tatty shoes.

Continuing our journey, we come to Washington New Town, created 60 years ago, in line with the New Towns concept. It is divided into 18 residential ‘villages’ – supported – I kid you not – by thousands and thousands of newly planted trees, well, newly planted then, and which are now fully ‘growed’ as they said of Topsy. You can imagine how attractive the New Town is, a far cry from miles of concrete and bricks.https://gallerieswashington.co.uk/

There is a Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve, and The Washington F Pit Mining Museum which is fascinating. The Washington Arts Centre is a converted farm building, and it is where I will be next week, to take part in a podcast on memories. (: look at a demo podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=YMAJKvbGhTQ&feature=youtu.be ) I will add my two pennyworth with my, and my mum’s memories.

The North East Land, Sea and Air Museum is north of the old RAF Usworth base. And … And … there are the amazing Galleries,with 200 retail units, lots of free parking, so you can shop til you drop then revitalise yourself in a cafe or restaurant of your choice, and start again, as people do since they come from all over.

So, no wonder there is a celebration – oh yes there is, so expect to enjoy Washington 60 Celebration Day to the full as live music, local exhibitors and family entertainment deliver a jam-packed day of great live music, local exhibitors and lots to entertain the family.https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/31703/Celebration-to-mark-60-years-of-Washington

The committee is going all out to create a festival atmosphere at the Northern Area Playing Fields from 12.00 noon until 9 pm on July 20th. Ah, you want to know more? Here you go: the Main Stage line up will be headlined by Washington’s own Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, and also Smoove and Turrell and The Revolutionaires. Frankly, we’re being spoiled.

Martin Stephenson says: “To play such a fabulous event in my home town is the greatest honour for me. I come back every year to perform at Washington Old Hall and still have many heartfelt connections from my childhood.

“I have always been proud of my roots and the lovely family and mining community I was reared in. Our drummer Craig McDonald is from Washington too and we’re looking forward to this greatly.”

Frost Magazine absolutely loves the fact that Martin is local, and that Local acts and community groups including theatre, spoken word and acoustic music will take to a second stage throughout the day. Hugely important, I think, is an exhibitor tent which will house Washington-based organisations telling the story of Washington past and present. Clearly not to be missed.

All ages are catered for, and the children should love the arts and crafts activities which will be available throughout the event, including a drop in kite making workshop. I could never make a kite fly, but I bet these kids do.

All of this is wonderful for the soul, but what about the body? Never fear, food providers and a bar will be on site all afternoon to provide snacks and refreshments.

So don’t forget: Washington New Town’s 60th anniversary celebrations take place on 20th July noon until 9 pm. Body and soul catered for. For more information: https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/31703/Celebration-to-mark-60-years-of-Washington

It wasn’t until I began to read this book that I thought about how many people I know who are bringing up a child in a country where the dominant language is not their own. From relatives to friends to cafe owners, every day I am interacting with people who are dealing with this contradiction. Talking about this book with friends provoked a lot of interesting discussion. 

Written by Malwina Gudowska, a writer and linguist, this is a fascinating exploration of what it means to try to raise a child to be bilingual, and the difficulties and joys. The contradiction of wanting to give a child their heritage, whilst being told it will slow development to learn two languages at once, that a first language is all right at home but the dominant language of school is the important one. And language turns out to be a feminist issue too; a good mother gives her child the gift of another language, but also a bad mother holds her child back by not focussing on just one. Mothers can’t win, either way it seems to be their fault. Fathers don’t get the same blame.

The author has the particular difficulty that the language she is trying to raise her children in is not even her own main language. As a child immigrant herself to Canada with her Polish parents, she explores her struggle to keep Polish alive for the children, without turning it into a chore for them, whilst obviously very much an effort for her. She finds herself reverting to English when she gets cross with them, and having to look up the Polish words for parts of a toy truck. Later on Polish becomes their secret language, with her son dumbfounded on a visit to relatives when everyone else can understand them. She feels relief in not being the only person with the care of parenting their language.

There are moving stories of parents who choose not to communicate with their children in their own first language so as not to disadvantage them, but then finding the lack of a shared dominant language a barrier between parent and child. One woman, brought up only speaking Danish, finds her only way of communicating her mother’s Faroese language to her own daughter is through a half-remembered lullaby.

I can accuse myself of being very insensitive to the issue in the past, often wondering why immigrants do not rush to learn English, without thinking that language has an importance beyond communication, and that it might mean the loss of identity, connection to homeland, to history, and to family you have left behind.

MOTHER TONGUE TIED by Malwina Gudowska pub Footnote Press ISBN 978-1-804-44079-7 @ £16.99

Image credit Camila Pastorelli

In April 2021, the renowned venue, St John’s Smith Square, merged with the much-loved Southbank Sinfonia to become one organisation. Now, in June 2024, the merged organisation is relaunching as Sinfonia Smith Square encompassing the best of both organisations.

Dedicated to enriching lives through music, they offer collaborative partnerships to nurture and support emerging artists and a platform for world – class performers to showcase their talent.

Image credit Joseph Lyn 22

On the evening of the launch, we were treated to a feast of enthusiastic musical excellence in a thrilling concert, given by a young orchestra of exceptional talent at St John’s, a church built in 1728, and which held the funeral of Emmeline Pankhurst in1928. Then, seemingly, disaster struck when it was bombed in May 1941. It was, however, then rebuilt as a purpose-built concert hall in 1969 boasting amazing acoustics.

Sinfonia Smith Square is a beacon for the future of classical music; a forward- thinking organisation that aims to enrich lives through the universal power of music, alongside supporting exciting cultural initiatives for the enjoyment of the widest possible audiences.

They will continue the long – established and much – loved favourites of the orchestra’s programme and the Smith Square concert calendar, while retaining their renowned seasonal festivals throughout the year. However, alongside hosting world – class ensembles, Sinfonia Smith Square will continue to champion emerging artists and embed its Fellowship at the heart of all its programming.

​They are delighted that Her Majesty Queen Camilla has agreed to remain as their royal patron, while entering a new creative era with the orchestra’s founder, Simon Over, recently appointed as Artistic Director.

Sinfonia Smith Square is a place of joy and discovery, which was certainly true of my experience. How had I not been here before? Never mind, I will certainly be getting on their mailing list because they have a fantastic programme (including the Messiah in December) and only a 10-minute walk from Westminster Underground Station.

Sinfonia Smith Square Smith Square Hall London W1P 3HA

Website www.sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk

Twitter @sinfoniasmit @smithsquarehall

Instagram @sinfoniasmithsq @smithsquarehall

Facebook @sinfoniasmithsquare

I make no apology for getting over-excited about Perfume Direct’s seasonal selection. A British company who know their perfumes, they negotiate the best deals for their customers and all their products are 100% genuine despite the competitive prices. Just reading their descriptions and analyses is enough to make great choices on-line – I’ve never been disappointed.

If you fancy a completely new signature scent, simply check out the Perfume Direct Guide to Fragrances, which explains the different perfume categories – Floral, Woody, Oriental etc. This allows you to make an informed decision about what you like, then you can use the scent type and strength search facility on their website to find the perfumes which suit your taste perfectly.

But I want to share my new discovery – For Her by Narciso Rodriguez. Perfume Direct describe it as a sensual and provocative fragrance and I cannot disagree, just the type of perfume I like to wear.

What I love about Perfume Direct is the detail they share for every fragrance, so you know exactly what you’re buying. They tell us that For Her fragrance type is Floral, Woody and Musk and its notes (the different scent layers which make up the fragrance) are:

Top Notes: African Orange flower, Osmanthus, Bergamot

Middle Notes: Musk, Amber

Base Notes: Vetiver, Vanille, Patchouli

You can see why I love it.

So check out Perfume Direct for this and other fragrances. For Her is currently on sale at £45.99 for 30ml or £59.99 for a massive 50ml eau de toilette.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

As some of you will know from previous reviews, I am something of a fanboy when it comes to Tracklements’ range of pickles and condiments. If anything, I am an addict, to the extent that I am first in the queue at our at our local Farmer’s Market to feed my addiction.

The latest addition to the Tracklements artisan, planet-friendly range of condiments will make any barbecue well worth the effort and touch the sweet spot for friends and family whether they’re vegan, pescatarian or meat eaters. 

NEW Special Edition Zingy Burger Sauce is a chef-standard burger sauce, approved by famed restaurateur, Mark Hix. Made with lemon juice, mustard, turmeric, black pepper, allspice and chillies, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and covers all bases: it is vegan and gluten free. 

The Zingy Burger Sauce is also fantastic with vegetarian burgers, and vegetarian peppered steaks, not least because it is rich, thick, coats the tongue, and is like a tomato sauce on steroids, with just a trace of heat. What’s more, it is not completely smooth which adds to the texture and taste experience (apologies,but I did warn you that I was a fan.)

This would be ideal at a barbecue that also catered for vegetarians and vegans – who are so often something of an afterthought; but this would put them centre stage.

RRP £4.10 for 290g, available from fine food delis and farm shops nationwide and online at www.tracklements.co.uk