Books on Tyne – being a writer in the north

Another book panel on the way! And unusually for me, it’s local!

I don’t usually do events near home. I can probably count the ones I’ve done on one hand. For some reason I just seem to like getting the train to some very random places! But the winds are a-changin’, and I for one am thrilled.

Books on Tyne returns in 2026 from Thursday 19th November to Saturday 28th November at City Library and The Lit & Phil. Offering a wide range of events and authors, focusing on subjects as wide as smells, anger and The Smiths, the festival celebrates the written word.

Routes to the Page: Outsiders and Underdogs

Saturday 28th November at Newcastle City Library
Panelists: Caroline Hardaker and Louise Powell

Building on the success of previous ‘Routes to the Page’ events, this panel brings together writers living and working in the North to explore how place, class, and identity shape the stories we tell (and the paths we take into publishing, too).

The discussion will consider the idea of the ‘outsider’ in contemporary literature, from characters and world-building to the realities of being a writer outside traditional literary centres.

I literally can’t wait for this event. I hope you can join us!

Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.