'Why go to writer's conferences?' was the
question I posed to a dozen people attending the annual get together of the
National Association of Writers’ Groups (NAWG).
Some said ‘the workshops’
and the two I attended were informative and entertaining. Braver souls said
they were looking forward to some feedback on their work during the
one-to-one sessions. The real professionals claimed they wanted to see how
they had fared in the competitions.
These are certainly valid reasons to give up a weekend and head to
Durham. The tutors are eminently qualified, thoroughly approachable and the
consensus was that they were fair but firm in their appraisals of our
efforts. There was a lot of learning going on.
However, most people I quizzed added that they also came along to meet
and make friends among fellow writers.
This was a wonderfully cosy gathering of friends old and new. The
timetabling and layout allowed space to sit and talk while regularly
surrounded by edible temptations. Writing is a lonely business and we need
to emerge from our writing spaces to swap notes, share stories of success or
rejections, give and receive encouragement and perhaps pick up a few ideas
The location itself is superb. Mario Petrucci’s words had to compete with
a sunbathed overview of Durham Cathedral while he read from his latest
collections. To accompany all the intellectual nurturing, the caterers at St
Aidan’s College ensured that bodily needs were not ignored. Institutional
food will never win prizes but every meal merited a 'highly commended'
although the coffee was not quite of the strength to sustain the lonely
nights of writing till next year's gathering.
