Tokyo Redux is a brilliant neo noir murder mystery from one of Granta’s 2003 Best of British Young Novelists and author of the Red Riding Quartet, GB84 and The Damned Utd. It is published by Faber & Faber on 3 June, pre-order a copy of the book here via our affliate link.

Faber Members can receive 20% the ticket price of this event. Sign up for free here to get your code.

Congratulations to 2020 Northern Writers’ Award winner Hannah Hodgson for winning the 2021 New Poets Prize for her collection Queen of Hearts! Along with the 3 other winners, she will receive a masterclass with Kim Moore and editorial and mentoring support from The Poetry Business, as well as publication in The North 67 (Winter, 2021) and a launch reading upon publication. 

North East indie publisher InkyLab are releasing their third anthology of short stories, Within A Forest Dark. You can get hold of a copy on their website, along with further information on upcoming themes and how to submit your own writing. 

Sunderland author Glenda Young has been signed up by Headline in a three-book deal to write cosy crimes set in a Scarborough B&B. The first book, Murder at the Seaview Hotel, publishes in hardback, audiobook and e-book in August and in paperback in November. Find out more here. 

The Settlement by Ruth Kirby-Smith was published in February by 2QT, a novel based on Ruth’s father’s family history against a backdrop of the Irish partition. A gripping and informative story of murder, mystery and romance, it is particularly relevant as we recently passed the 100th anniversary of the Irish partition. 

Pre-orders are now open for Manchester-based writer Louise Finnigan's short story Muscle and Mouth, and Leeds-based poet Lucy Hurst's chapbook Modern Medicine. Muscle and Mouth, releasing 11 June, is a compelling story exploring the Northern identity in all its broad, complex might, embracing both the poetry and the pain of Manchester's most deprived housing estates. Modern Medicine, releasing 18 June, is a visceral debut that navigates the themes of disability, medicine, and illness with equal measures of linguistic dexterity and stark humour. 

Durham-based writer Zelah Roberts’ debut novel Midsummer Man will be published in paperback and as an e-book on 15 June. This gripping romantic suspense, with heat and heart, is available to pre-order on Amazon, and signed copies with an exclusive bookmark are available at Guisborough Bookshop.  

The FAB Prize 2021, from Faber & Faber and the Andlyn Literary Agency, helps discover new writers and illustrators for children from underrepresented backgrounds. Open to previously unpublished writers of Black, Asian or non-white minority ethnic background living in UK and Ireland. Deadline 4 June, find out more and apply here. 

The Creative Future Writers’ Awards 2021 offers over £10,000 in cash and writer development prizes. Open to writers underrepresented in mainstream publishing including those with mental health issues, physical/learning disabilities, neurodiversity, Black writers, LGBTQIA+ writers, as well as writers from working class backgrounds. Submit short fiction or poetry on the theme ‘ESSENTIAL’ by 6 June.  

The Aurora Prize for Writing is open for submissions of short-fiction and poetry until 7 June. This national prize, from Writing East Midlands, offers 1st prizes (in both categories) of £500, feedback from a matched literary agent or editor and membership to prize partners The Society of Authors. And for the first time this year, there will be a published longlist of 25 works in poetry & fiction, as well as a published shortlist and 2nd & 3rd Prize winners. Find out more here.

Northern Gravy are open for submissions until 13 June. They are looking for the best in new writing in either Fiction, Young Adult or Poetry, and for every submission selected for publication they will pay a fee of £100 as well as offering editorial services and valuable feedback. Writers selected will also be invited to read their work for broadcast on Youtube, The Northern Gravy website, podcast and potential future festival appearances. More information here.

Netflix and Sky have launched a Screenwriters’ Fellowship, offering a bursary of £22k each and a year-long programme of professional development to 6 writers. They are looking for writers of Black, Asian and other racial and ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in the TV and film industry. Deadline 18 June. 

The Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour aims to find new talent writing in the SFF space, from magical realism and space operas to dystopia and more. Prizes of £4,000, £2,000 and £800. All shortlisted writers will also receive mentoring from one of the prize’s publishing partners, including Gollancz, Tor and Orbit. Deadline 25 June, find out more here.

Sunspot Lit is seeking submissions for Rigel 2021 for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or art. The single piece of work that outshines the rest will receive $750 and publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Deadline 30 June, entry fee $5. Full details here.

Fabula Press is currently accepting submissions for the 2021 Aestas short story competition. There is no theme for the contest, and they are flexible about genre with a few exceptions. All long-listed stories will be published in an anthology, and there are 3 top prizes of $500, $250 and $150. Deadline 31 July, entry fee $10. Find out more here. 

The Brontë Society is seeking to appoint a freelance events professional to deliver its 10th Brontë Festival of Women’s Writing. Responsibilities include finalising the schedule of events, programme copy and ticketing information, leading on the staffing and logistical delivery of the festival, promoting the programme, budget tracking and more. Find out more and apply by 31 May here. 

Ilkley Literature Festival is recruiting an Apprentice Poet in Residence. They are looking for a talented emerging poet at the start of their career based in the North of England, to create a commission for the festival, judge the 18-25 category of the Walter Swan Poetry Prize, run an online workshop, and more. Find out more and apply by 4 June here. 

Newcastle Cultural Education Partnership is seeking a creative, self-starting freelance Producer to significantly develop the profile and reach of Newcastle Cultural Education Partnership, so that Newcastle becomes a beacon for equitable access to excellent cultural education and cultural experiences for children and young people across the city. Find out more and apply by 7 June here. 

Calling all poets aged 18-25! The Roundhouse’s Poetry Slam is back for its 15th Year and is searching for the next Slam Champion. By taking part, you’ll get a chance to win a cash prize, make industry contacts and raise your profile, showcase your talent in front of live and online audiences, and have your performance professionally filmed and uploaded to the Roundhouse YouTube Channel. Deadline 10 June, apply here. 

Creatively Ageing is a research project that seeks to draw together practitioners from the cultural industries and explore the experience of growing older, its impact on your creative and professional life and how we can think of growing older as a process of adaptation and transformation. Participants will connect with other women, explore the power of their voice and creativitiy, take part in writing exercises, and more. Contact Dr Rachel Connor for more info, or find the project on Twitter and online.

Nature writing wanted! Artist Paul Rooney will be creating a new art installation at Lindisfarne Castle for spring 2022. Grey seal calls and other natural sounds of the Holy Island landscape will be ‘translated’ into a cello composition which will be installed within the Castle music room. They are looking for contributions of nature writing for the exhibition, including evocative descriptions of the sights and sounds of the Holy Island coastal area, a paragraph or a few sentences only, prose or poetry. Send your writing direct to the artist here.

My Dear Younger Self is an online collaborative project that asks participants to imagine they had the opportunity to tell their younger selves absolutely anything. They are seeking individuals to contribute their own letters to this project. The letters can be as long or as short as you would like and in any format, to be posted on Instagram. Submit your letters via Instagram DMs or email.

Where to Next is a free online event hosted by Kendal Poetry Festival which will unite audiences, writers and organisers to share the strategies and support which sustained us through Covid – and which will carry us into an uncertain future. It will consist of a mix of presentations, facilitated groups, a specially commissioned film and of course some writing. Register for 2 June 1-4pm here.

Join Gather, a focused, month-long writing development group from Northern Writers Studio that gives you space and support to work on your writing project. Four weeks on Thursdays starting 3 June 7.30pm. £35 or £17.50 concession. Come to Women In Poetry with Ameilia Loulli to explore the women poets who have shaped the poetry landscape and use that knowledge to write your own compelling poetry. 16 June, 7pm, £20. Northern Writers Studio’s regular Zoom write-ins are friendly, supportive spaces to get writing done. Join on Tuesdays or Sundays and spend time on your writing project with a friendly writing community. Free or Pay If You Can. 

Writers at York is delighted to welcome author, screenwriter, playwright, creative writing tutor and literary activist, Courttia Newland, to discuss his work across literature and screen on 9 June 7pm. He will be in conversation with Dr Clive Nwonka, lecturer in Film and Literature at the University of York. There will also be a brief reading and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions. Free event, find out more and register here.

Mam Tackles the Climate Crisis is a solo monologue in which Mam engages passers-by with her frustrated attempts to recycle everything, including her relationship with her daughter. Written and directed by Tracy Gillman, performed by Jackie Lyre and supported by Northern Stage, it will be performed on the steps of Christ Church, Consett, from 24-26 June at 11:30am, 1pm and 3pm. More info here. 

Write Here is offering an online 8-week novel-writing course for £99, beginning 28 June. It will take you from those tentative early planning stages right through to submitting your finished manuscript to literary agents and publishers. Sign up here. They are also running a six-week How To Write Fantasy or Speculative Fiction course for £79 taking you through all the essential components of the two closely linked genres, and providing a structured plan for you to complete your own original work. Sign up here. 

Hexham Book Festival returns this year from 2-11 July with a fabulous, vintage Spiegeltent on the Hexham Abbey Grounds hosting socially distanced in person events with Hollie McNish, Tez Ilyas, Melissa Harrison and more. There’s a brand new Children’s Festival happening both inside and out including Circus Skills, Supertato author Sue Hendra and lots of family events. Limited seating means some events are already sold out.