The National Creative Writing Industry Day Returns

Are you a writer hoping to have your work published? Would you like the opportunity to meet and seek advice from agents and commissioning editors, learn how the industry works from its experts and hone the creative and practical skills needed to enter it?

Comma Press welcomes you back to National Creative Writing Industry Day at The Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Now in its sixth year this annual conference, the largest of its kind outside of the capital, brings together creative writers at the start of their careers for a full day’s programme of talks, workshops and 1-1’s with agents from some of the country’s leading literary agencies. Hear from published writers, poets, lecturers, and publishers to gain the tools, information and access needed to get published.

This year’s programme features a keynote from Vanessa Onwuemezi, writer and poet who has recently been shortlisted for the BBC Short Story Prize 2022. Onwuemezi was awarded The White Review short story prize in 2019 and her debut short story collection, Dark Neighbourhood, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, in 2021 was named one of The Guardian's best books of 2021. It was shortlisted for both the Republic of Consciousness Prize and the Edge Hill Prize in 2022. 

Also featuring:

• A keynote speech from Vanessa Onwuemezi, writer and poet who was recently shortlisted for The BBC National Short Story Award 2022 and won The White Review Short Story Prize in 2019. 
• Two panel discussions: ‘From Pitching to Publishing’ and a special panel on Climate Writing.
• A choice of eight workshops ranging in topics, from marketing yourself as a writer and editing your work, to nature writing and poetry.
• Two bespoke workshops ran by The Literacy Consultancy in the morning on how to writer a synopsis preparing delegates for the agent 1-1's in the afternoon.
• 2 x one-to-one meeting with an agent to seek advice on your work-in-progress or finished manuscript. This is great practice for pitching manuscripts to agents and learning how to sell the key points of your work. 

Book your ticket for the National Creative Writing Industry Conference 2022 via our EVENTBRITE HERE a full day of events for aspiring writers to gain insight into the publishing industry and advice on how to excel in their practice.