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Are you thinking about whether you might want to work in publishing, or use your writing skills in your future career? This is the event for you!

When: Saturday 30th November 2024 from 1pm

Where: Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham

We will talk to people who do just that and ask them how they got where they are. Our speakers Kit de Waal, Lucy Martin and John Bernard will cover novels, memoir, making projects happen, writing for young people, working in publishing and making a career as a poet.

With plenty of opportunities to ask your own questions, and talk to others with similar interests, you will leave with great ideas and suggestions to help you make important choices.

You can also get individual advice from our knowledgeable and friendly staff team. Chose the General Admission plus 1-2-1 advice session ticket when booking. Appointments begin from 10am. These tickets are limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.

Please contact Emma if you have any questions.

One-to-ones are also available in the morning – these need to be booked separately and are available on a first come, first served basis. These one-to-one sessions are for you to discuss directly with one of the speakers anything you’d like to know about in more depth. Select ticket type “Careers in Writing + Individual feedback session” for this option when booking.

Our speakers are:

  • Novelist, editor, TV production company founder Kit de Waal
  • Little, Brown Senior Press Officer Lucy Martin
  • Coventry Poet Laureate and workshop facilitator, John Bernard

 

Careers In Writing is essential for any young writers looking to go to University to study creative writing; who would like to forge a career as a writer; or who simply want to find out more about how that might be possible.

Tickets available from £10 to £15 and bursaries are available. Click here for our bursary policy.

Timetable:

10am – 12.30pm:        Individual advice Sessions with WWM staff

12.30pm – 1pm:          Registration

1pm – 1.45pm:           Working as a writer: Kit De Waal 

1.45pm – 2pm:            Comfort break

2pm – 2.45pm:           Working in publishing: Lucy Martin 

2.45pm – 3pm:            Comfort break

3pm – 3.45pm:            Working as a poet: John Bernard, Coventry Poet Laureate 

3.45pm – 4pm:           Final networking session

4pm:                             Event ends

For a flavour of the event, you can see a short highlights film that we made following a similar event in 2023.

We also have lots of more careers resources here including interviews of writers, and agent and a librarian, and a booklet full of information about being a writer, editor, agent, publicist – lots of roles you may not have considered – and places to go for further information.

This event is kindly supported by ALCS.

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity; ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 117,000 members, and since 1977 has paid over £600million to writers.

For more information visit alcs.co.uk

Get Writing

If you’d like to submit a piece of your writing for possible inclusion in the magazine, please see the Get Involved page to see more details. This magazine is published online three times a year: summer (June/July), winter (October-December) and spring (February-April) terms.

Our Spark Young Writers groups for September 2023-June 2024 are now available to book, including three new junior groups for Staffordshire, starting in January 2024.

 

Young Writers can submit up to three pieces of writing to our online magazine. The deadline for submissions for Issue 29 is 11th November 2024. Full details can be found here.

Spark Young Writers will soon be invited to submit a piece of writing for inclusion in the 2024 Anthology – more on this soon.

Check out all our ideas for writing prompts at our Get Writing tab. A wide selection of images, videos and funsheets for young writers to complete.