Northern Lights Writers’ Conference 2020: Digital Edition

In a break from our usual schedule, we’re going live to Sale for the annual Northern Lights Writers’ Conference – but not as you know it. This year, as with many of our favourite events (and also plenty of new ones), NLWC will be exercising a virtual presence, streaming via Waterside’s brand-new digital hub, Diverge – and you can still watch some of the events online.

Aimed at writers at all stages of their career, from the unpublished to those already established and with words in print, the seventh Northern Lights Writers’ Conference from Creative Industries Trafford is perfect for picking up tips. Readers are also catered for, with an “in conversation” event with number-one bestselling author Heather Morris, which you can still watch online via the Diverge digital hub. She talks about her novels The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which has sold six million copies and topped the New York Times bestsellers chart, and its follow-up Cilka’s Journey. Heather is the latest in a roster of world-class guests to feature at the conference, which, since it began in 2013, has welcomed Louise Doughty, Sarah Dunant, Joanne Harris, AL Kennedy, Jane Rogers and Will Self.

Readers are also catered for, with an “in conversation” event with number-one bestselling author Heather Morris, which you can still watch online via the Diverge digital hub.

With a choice of events to dip in and out of, this year NLWC ran over four days from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 November, and – for the very first time – the entire programme was free to attend. Continuing its tradition of delving into both the craft and the business of writing, sessions encompassed writing workshops, one-to-one advice chats with industry experts, including writers and editors, and a panel discussion with publishing professionals including Genevieve Pegg, Publishing Director at HarperNorth, literary agent Louise Lamont of LBA Books, and author Okechukwu Nzelu, whose debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for this year’s Desmond Elliott and Polari First Book prizes. This event is great for gleaning some publishing industry secrets and it is still available online via the Diverge digital hub.

CIT Coordinator Richard Evans says: “We’re looking forward to welcoming – virtually! – a fantastic range of speakers and facilitators to Waterside for our seventh Northern Lights Writers’ Conference. Being able to stream live from Waterside’s innovative new digital hub, Diverge, means anyone can join in, enabling audiences to enjoy our programme and participate in the events and activities from the comfort of their homes, wherever they are. From workshops and panels to talks and drop-in advice sessions, we hope writers from across the region and beyond will be inspired and informed.”