New Writing North is leading a coalition, which includes Hachette UK, Faber and Simon & Schuster UK, to create a state-of-the-art Centre for Writing in Newcastle worth £14m through government funding and so “reposition the southern and London bias of the writing industries”.
K Morris - Poet 
Sounds like a good initiative!
Thanks for commenting, Liz. I agree.
You’re welcome, Kevin.
Interesting. While, as a person born in the north, (but not as far as Newcastle) I applaud the move of things away from the south east, many people won’t be able to access this. I certainly won’t, living close to the south coast.
Thank you for commenting, Vivienne. Like you, I’m also from the north, as I was born and grew up in Liverpool. I’m also pleased to read about the national writing centre. I’m sure you are right that many people won’t be able to access the centre if they are located at a great distance from it. I suspect they will also offer online courses and other events so those who would find it difficult to attend in person may be able to do so virtually. I’m also conscious that living in London as I have done since 1994, that I’m priveleged to be within easy reach of the Poetry School and the Poetry Society whilst those based in Newcastle would find it difficult to access these organisations other than online. So I guess there is a certain amount of swings and roundabouts here. Kevin
Yes, you are right, Kevin. The south east shouldn’t hog everything. I guess it’s because people in the SE are used to not having to travel far to access things. We mustn’t be greedy!
Indeed we are lucky in the south-east in terms of the ease with which we can access many facilities not so easily available to those who live elsewhere. Having said that, I visited Cardiff on Thursday and greatly relished the fresh coastal air. Where I live in Upper Norwood the air is better than some other parts of London, but it can’t compare to the air I breathed on Thursday.
I know Upper Norwood, Kevin. I taught in Croydon for 20 years. The air near here, just north of Eastbourne, is better than Croydon.
But in South Wales it’s really good. I stayed in a cottage at the edge of the Brecon Beacons last year. Breathing was a pleasure, and it was a dark skies area, too.
I was interested to learn that you know the Upper Norwood area Vivienne. I’m glad the air where you live is fresh, and the cottage in South Wales sounds wonderful. I was at university in Swansea and remember the sea air there.