Ambitious Project Launched for Newcastle to Become the Centre of Writing and Publishing for the North East

By Sam Milligan

In a bid to push against the inherent class boundaries associated with publishing, the city of Newcastle has launched a project to make the North East of England a centre for writing and creativity. It is a welcome development to an area of the UK which has produced some of its finest writers, including Sid Chaplin, Pat Barker and the modernist poet Basil Bunting.

The project will be centred around Bolbec Hall, an historic building in the centre of Newcastle dating from the early 20th century. The ambitious development aims to transform the building into a creative sphere, where writers, publishers and students can gather collectively. Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North, stated how the goals of the project will be achieved by making the space a “wifi dead zone.” Drawing inspiration from a bygone era is a fantastic way to accommodate creative interactions, forcing visitors to pick up a book or newspaper and chat.

The proposed literary and publishing centre will be a key milestone in the battle to move publishing away from its heavy London bias, building up the local area’s creative industries. With London as the nation’s focal point for the commercial publishing industry, this also reflects a broader class-based bias. Many inspiring writers and creators simply do not get the same opportunities as others. Talent is classless, and this bold project aims to reflect that.

New Writing North aims to install a public space on the ground floor with a cafe and bar, complete with the largest independent bookshop in the North. The redesigned building will also include office space for publishers and learning rooms for MA students, as well as a variety of creative spaces for writers sprinkled throughout.

Pending government approval of the project, the potential literary impact on the North East and the greater publishing industry is truly exciting. The proposal promises to make creative writing more accessible, removing the inherent class barriers often associated with publishing. The projected influx of those interested in writing could propel the Newcastle area into the publishing headlines, challenging London as the national centre of the industry. At minimum, this development could create a domino effect of other major towns and cities across England mimicking these creative spaces, further encouraging writers to collaborate. This is definitely a project to keep an eye on, and it is likely only a matter of time before it begins to make a serious impact on the publishing industry.