Tees Valley Writing Conference 2026

Our popular Writing Conference is coming to the Tees Valley for the first time!

The writing conference is an event for writers at all stages of their careers. It aims to demystify the world of publishing and supports you to connect with peers and industry experts. Across one day, the conference offers a programme of panels, breakout sessions and practical workshops. Writers choose their own bespoke journey throughout the day, whether you’re interested in writing about your life, building your brand on social media, or learning more about the journey to publication.

You can also mingle with other writers over tea and coffee, visit our pop-up book stall from Drake the Bookshop, and apply for an industry one-to-one to chat about your work with agents, editors or professional writers.

Pat Barker and Anna Barker in conversation

For over forty years, Booker-Prize winning author Dame Pat Barker’s writing has drawn extensively from her working class upbringing in County Durham, often documenting the strength and complexities of the women she lived amongst, from her debut novel Union Street, to her most recent book The Voyage Home.

Pat will be in conversation with her daughter, the novelist, poet and short-story writer Anna Barker, to discuss how they have navigated the intersection between life writing and fiction and exploring how they have honed their writing craft throughout their careers to now. They will also shed light on Anna’s exciting new project, a memoir of working-class womanhood and generational trauma delving deep into Pat Barker’s extraordinary life, due to be released in Spring 2027.

Paddy Crewe

Paddy Crewe was born in Middlesborough. His first novel, My Name is Yip, was published by Penguin in April 2022 and was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and shortlisted for the BettyTrask, the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. His second novel, True Love, was published to much acclaim in 2025. Set in the 1980s in the North East of England, True Love is a story of the trials of youth, the bonds of family and friendship, and of how much we are willing to risk to have ourselves be seen.

Paddy will talk about his journey to publication and share his experiences as a Northern author.

Breakout sessions: you may choose one breakout session per time slot, but please note that space is limited and places are first come first serve. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

You may choose one of the four following breakout sessions. Please note that space is limited and places are first come first serve. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

1a: Life Writing with Anna Barker

This warm, welcoming life writing workshop is designed to help you find your way into vivid, meaningful scenes from your own life. Using inspiring extracts from memoir, autofiction and poetry, we’ll explore how memory can be sparked through the senses—through food, objects, places, and even the body—and shaped into writing that feels alive on the page.

You’ll be guided through a series of short, creative exercises that gently open up personal material without pressure. The focus is on discovery rather than perfection: giving yourself permission to follow an image, a feeling, or a moment, and seeing where it leads. Along the way, we’ll think about voice, detail, and how small moments can carry emotional weight.

This session is open to everyone, whether you’re new to life writing or returning to it. You’ll leave with fresh pieces of writing, simple techniques you can return to, and a renewed confidence in your voice and your stories.

1b: Journeys to Publication with Shaun Wilson and Louise Powell

Novelists Louise Powell and Shaun Wilson will be in conversation with poet Degna Stone, discussing writing about their own backgrounds, being featured in Kit de Waal’s acclaimed Common People (Unbound, 2019) anthology, and how winning a Northern Writers’ Award led to the publications of their debut novels, Underdogs (John Murray Press) and Malc’s Boy (Conduit Books), in 2026.

1c: Building your Author Brand on Social Media with Nicola Washington

We’ll break down the essentials of author branding – what it means, what it doesn’t and where social media fits within the bigger picture. Using real examples of author social media accounts and practical prompts designed to spark your ideas, you’ll start building the foundations of your own author identity. Blending insights with hands-on exercises, this workshop offers both inspiration and practical tools to help support your long-term career as an author.

1d: Meet the Agent and Editor with Kieron Fairweather and Kasim Ali

Kieron Fairweather will talk about his work as a literary agent, and Kasim Ali about his role as an editor and novelist. They will answer your questions on seeking representation for your work and the route from first draft to publication.

You may choose one of the four following breakout sessions. Please note that space is limited and places are first come first serve. Book soon to avoid disappointment.

2a: Writing in your Authentic Voice with Shaun Wilson

Join us for a dialect writing workshop with Shaun Wilson, author of Malc’s Boy, an award-winning polyphonic novel set in Cumbria. We will look at writing our voices phonetically, embracing the rich diversity of regional language and exploring how dialect can bring originality and flair to your writing. Within a publishing industry dominated by standard English, learning to write in your natural voice, with all its rhythms and idiosyncrasies, is a strength that can make your writing stand out from the crowd. The workshop will include a brief overview of dialect writing in literature, and exercises to encourage you to think about representing your authentic voice on the page, and the affordances this can bring to your creative writing.

2b: Story Development Workshop with Writers' Block North East

Do you have an idea for a novel? Join Laura and James from Writers’ Block North East for a story development workshop. Unlock your innate talent for storytelling as you discover tips and tricks for creating compelling characters, learn how to get to the heart of your story and gain an understanding of how structure can help you create a roadmap through from first idea to final draft.

2c: Faber Academy: Writing Speculative Fiction with Sophie Mackintosh

Speculative fiction is one of the most exciting and subversive categories of contemporary fiction, but it’s not just limited to genre writing – thinking more speculatively about your fiction can open up new avenues for all writers. It can lead you into new ways of imagining, plotting, and creating, expanding the possibilities for developing compelling characters and plots.

Led by acclaimed novelist Sophie Mackintosh, this workshop will guide you through the key concepts of speculative fiction — and you’ll bring those ideas and new worlds to life in writing exercises that are designed to help you generate new work, and new ways of thinking.

2d: Meet the Agent and Editor with Amandeep Singh and Isabelle Kenyon

Amandeep Singh will talk about her role as a literary agent, and Isabelle Kenyon about her experience running an award-winning independent publishing company. They will answer your questions about their careers and how to seek representation for your work.

In addition to the full day programme, delegates can apply for a ten-minute chat with an industry professional. This is an opportunity to discuss your work with an agent, editor, publicist or seasoned writer. You'll be asked to provide a synopsis of your current project, which will be shared with your industry professional in advance, if you are chosen.

Please note that due to limited availability, industry one-to-ones are not guaranteed and are not offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Places will instead be allocated based on the suitability of the synopsis you provide. We aim to select the most promising work and match you with the industry professional most relevant to your work. Industry one-to-ones are free, and anyone with a ticket can apply.

Once you've bought your ticket you'll receive an email with the link to apply for an industry one-to-one. The deadline to apply is Monday 27 April 9am. If you have not received the email 2 days after buying your ticket, please check your spam folder before emailing [email protected].

If you are unable to book a ticket for the conference without financial help, we encourage you to apply for one of our ten free bursary places. Bursary places are based on financial need and will be selected at random from valid applicants.

You are eligible for a bursary ticket if you are in receipt of Jobseekers’ Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Asylum Support, or Universal Credit. If none of the above applies but you feel that you are still eligible, please get in touch.

Please email [email protected] with the subject line Tees Valley Writing Conference Bursary, and briefly outline the way in which you are eligible for a free ticket.

The deadline for applying for a bursary is Monday 27 April 9am.

Tees Valley – An Engine Room of Creative Production

Delivered by New Writing North on behalf of the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority. Funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Hullabaloo, Borough Road, Darlington, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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