“Having listened to great songwriters like James Taylor and Carole King, I felt there was nothing new that was coming out that really represented me and the way I felt. So I started writing my own stuff.” –Amy Winehouse
There are many advantages of being a writer in or from the North: the landscape, the historic towns and vibrant cities, the accents and dialects, the sense of place and self. But, nowadays, we don’t have to pack our bags and set off to the bright lights of London to get a sniff of getting published. Here, across the North of Britain, we are developing our own slip stream.
Northern Presses are now giving the London presses a real run for their money. From Comma Press in Manchester to And Other Stories in Sheffield to Bloodaxe Books in Hexham and Armley Press in Leeds there are many independent presses making a name for themselves and getting rave reviews and industry wide respect.
Our aim is to explore this Northern publishing landscape. We want to inform as well as enlighten you on what is available on your own doorstep and to see that we are more than well catered for as budding writers and publishers.
Starting with Comma Press, who lead the Northern Fiction Alliance, we will go on to explore all those willing to talk to us! We intend to add more, as time allows, and will be covering presses that deal with fiction, non-fiction and poetry. We hope to interview lead practitioners/representatives in each of these publishing houses – asking for insights on their philosophies, their submission processes and their opinions on the industry as it stands today.
Watch this space as more presses come onboard and discover the rich world of writing in the North!
Read our piece interviewing Comma Press here.