Wigan Pier Workshops

Friday 20 September 2013

The Orwell Prize, Britain’s most prestigious prize for political writing, is supported by the Media Standards Trust, Political Quarterly, AM Heath and Richard Blair (Orwell’s son). We’re thrilled to announce a full line up of writers for the Autumn Sessions of the Wigan Pier Workshops. These writers workshops based in Wigan were pioneered by Stephen Armstrong, author of The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited, who formed a bond with Sunshine House Community Centre based just yards from where Orwell stayed in 1936. Joining forces with Barbara Nettleton of Sunshine House Community Centre in March 2012 the pair invited writers including Will Self and Ed McCardie to host a series of writing workshops for young local people. The event proved so successful that they asked The Orwell Prize and English PEN to partner in organising the next. This October will be our third series. Eleven writers will deliver sessions inspired by Orwell’s values and their own inspiration like ‘Poetry against the cuts’, ‘How digital changed journalism’ and ‘How many sides to a story?’ The journalists attending are; winner of a 2013 prize for journalism Andrew Norfolk, former Tribune Editor Paul Anderson, Orwell Prize shortlistee Anna Chen and 2011 Orwell Prize judge Sean Dodson and Stuart Maconie of BBC Radio 6 Music.The fiction writers will be; Stuart Evers who wrote Ten stories about smoking and Dickens 2012 Young Writer in Residence Femi Martin. The featured poets are; The Wolf editor James Byrne and My dog is a carrot writer John Hegley. And the playrights are; Bhopal writer Avaes Mohammad and spoken word artist Joelle Taylor. We’ll try to bring back as much of these wonderful workshops as we can to share with you.

Events for Autumn

Here at The Orwell Prize, we’re gearing up to the launch of our 21st year on the evening of 21st of October. This year the subject of debate will be ‘Internet and the modern self: manners and abuse online’. We will announce our judges at the event and open for entries. Places are scarce so make sure you book here soon to avoid disappointment. The full set of speakers will be announced shortly. Before we launch, don’t forget the ‘Tramping Today’ event with Foyles and Quartet Books featuring Brian Sewell and John Bird and chaired by The Orwell Prize’s Dr Michael Sayeau. This will take place at Foyles flagship store in Charing Cross on the evening of 9th October. And before 2013 is over we also have the annual Orwell Lecture, now hosted at UCL, to look forward to. This year Professor Tariq Ramadan will speak on ‘Democratising the Middle East: A New Role for the West?’, Tuesday 12th November. Full details to follow.

Our offices have moved

Last week, The Orwell Prize moved with the Media Standards Trust to a new premises within Kings College London. You can now call us on 020 7 and our new address is The Orwell Prize, Kings College London, Strand Bridge House, 138-142 The Strand, London WC2R 2LS.

We’re recruiting

The Orwell Prize is recruiting a new full time Administrator. See full details on how to apply here.

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