This month, we are thrilled to welcome award-winning author and memoirist Aminatta Forna to the Dare to Write? Academy stage, where she will host a series of online workshops and talks for writers and readers of all levels of experience. There are four fantastic events on offer: a two-week Masterclass in Advanced Fiction and Memoir for writers who have a … Read More
Last Chance to Submit to the ‘Lockdown’ Poetry & Short Story Competition
We are pleased to announce that we are partnering with B&NES Library Service and the Bath Record Office as part of our community writing project, The Great Margin. For those of you who haven’t heard – ‘Lockdown’ is a new competition run by the library service calling for short stories or poems. Members of Libraries West aged over 18 are … Read More
Announcing… Our AI Story Lab Writers!
In our current climate, exploring new technology and innovative ways to tell a story is more relevant than ever. This May, Paper Nations are joining The Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries, Bristol+Bath Creative R+D, and creative technology partners To Play For to host a fully-funded, two-day workshop that explores the storytelling revolution. With thanks to all those that applied, … Read More
The Great Margin: Responding to the Pandemic
I’m Joanna, Paper Nations’ Engagement Manager, and like most or likely all of you, I’m finding myself struggling as my life changes on a daily basis in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of us are isolated in homes that may not offer us a room to ourselves, let alone a quiet creative space. Anxiety levels are high, the news … Read More
A Writing Challenge from Our Duke of Edinburgh Student, Alex
Bath-based writer Alex is in Year 10. He is a Junior Judge for the Bath Children’s Novel Award and a former Junior Journalist for the Bath Children’s Literature Festival. This autumn, I’ve been completing the volunteering section of my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award by helping Paper Nations conduct research into their Dare to Write? Prompts. Each week I was … Read More
Time to Write Commissions for underrepresented writers in South-West England – Applications now open
When we launched Writing for All, we were very clear about our aims: to open up writing and publishing to writers who might otherwise lack access, who bring voices and stories we might otherwise miss. We believe that a broad range of voices and stories enriches and is vital to people’s understanding of the world. That means encouraging people across … Read More
Beyond the Book: The Recipients
What a fantastic response we’ve had. The quality of the submissions to our Beyond the Book commission was very high. We had entries from forty writers and technologists with links to the upper South West, including projects from multi-prizewinning authors and professionals. Our independent selection panel shortlisted commended twelve applicants, who have now all received feedback on their submissions. But … Read More
Join Us on 18-20th October At the StoryTown Corsham Festival!
It’s just two weeks until the second annual StoryTown, a family writing festival in Corsham, Wiltshire. Across the weekend of 18th-20th October, there will be over 30 events for writers of all ages and persuasions. We’ve got something for digital writers, families of writers, writers interested in history or experimenting with hand printing, poets, writing educators and more. We are … Read More
Announcing our innovative new CPD programme for writers, researchers, and educators!
We are excited to reveal information about the Dare to Write? Academy – a new series of writing events, flagship courses, and workshops available in 2020. The Dare to Write? Academy is one of our co-produced projects, led by TRACE at Bath Spa University. The Paper Nations’ Writing for All programme will contribute to the The Dare to Write? Academy … Read More
The Quiet
The Quiet is our reflective time – you won’t hear anything from us on our website or across social media until the end of August. This time is reserved for all of us to get back to basics: to write and reflect on our writing journeys. Writing demands our time from dawn till dusk. It’s important to take time away … Read More