Given that most of us have spent a lot of the last year navigating the new online landscape, not surprisingly, a good number of the sessions from contributors have this as their focus. The topic is explored from a range of different perspectives – everything from best Zoom practice for community writing facilitators and ways of keeping students engaged and participating meaningfully online to the latest theories and research connected with online teaching in diverse educational and community settings.

There’s also a chance to hear about the UEA project Future and Form exploring the interface between contemporary literature and creative technology and the Poetry in Motion Schools digital programme and take part in Caleb Parkin’s No Edges or Walls: Online museum poetry workshop. And much more besides.

For those of you working in school and community settings, there are sessions offering fascinating insights into the lessons learned from projects such as Read On, about new ways to engage young people with reading and writing, and Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen programme of long-term writing residencies in communities.

Also on offer is a chance to hear how Paper Nations plans to take forward the concepts introduced in The Writer’s Cycle in its next project, The Writing for All Greenbook mapping inclusivity in the writing ecology, and take part in Matt Beighton’s exciting “choose-your-own-adventure” workshop for schools.

Other contributor sessions look at writing and wellbeing, including the use of creative writing in healthcare education, and the relationship between image/stitch and word - this includes the use of ekphrasis in art museums as a tool for visitor engagement.

There is a strong focus within the programme on keeping your own writing practice going, and maintaining your own wellbeing, with sessions from contributors on everything from ethics in life writing, found materials in poetry and the use of music in character development and how personality psychology can help, to mindfulness meditation for writers, action learning and creating a writers’ support network. And much much more.

In total, there are 39 contributor sessions featuring 67 contributors. This is in addition to the 12 plenary sessions and special events lined up (plus one-to-ones), making a total of 51 events and sessions to enjoy across the two days. All the sessions are being recorded and will be available to watch until Friday 14 May 2021 so plenty of time to catch up on any sessions missed during the conference itself.

Read the full programme in both flipbook and pdf format.

Tickets ranging from £29-£99 are available here

The booking deadline is 12 noon, Friday 12 March.

We look forward to welcoming you at what promises to be a special conference as we take a moment to take stock, celebrate and look ahead with peers from around the UK and internationally.

If you have any queries, do contact Sarah Byrne at admin@nawe.co.uk or call 0330 3335 909.