In a open letter titled 'A Creative Call to Arms' 82 professional writers have put their backing behind a campaign urging the government to back a major new centre for the writing industries for the North.

Signatures include Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses, the series that has become an Apple TV hit and who was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. Anne Cleeves lives in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside and is famed for her creations Vera and Shetland, both of which have been adapted for TV. Screenwriter Peter Straughan adapted Wolf Hall for television and co-wrote Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy for big screen as well as adapting How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - he grew up in Gateshead. Other names on the list include: Kit De Waal, Doug Johnstone, Sara Collins and Val McDermid. 

The campaign was launched in the summer by a coalition led by writing development charity New Writing North, Northumbria University and Hachette UK. There's also support from the North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness. 

The coalition is currently awaiting the outcome of a £5m bid with the department of Culture Media and Sport, which is expected to be announced at the end of October. Creating a new hub for the writing industries will transform a disused heritage building in the heart of Newcastle located next to the Lit & Phil, known for being the largest independent library outside of London. It is thought that the investment would unlock a further £5.5m in pledges from regional partners in order to make this new centre a reality. 

It states in the open letter: “Writing is an art that the UK excels in and it plays a major role in the Creative Industries – underpinning publishing, media, film, TV, audio, and spilling over into games, music, theatre, local news and innovations in VR and AI, alongside jobs in related industries such as communications. 

“For too long, the writing industries have been centred in London and the South East, creating an unbalanced eco-system, spread of jobs, and barriers to those in underserved and northern communities [...]

Investment in the Centre for Writing and Publishing will revitalise the region, attract inward investment, and help train and develop a new generation of local talent. We want young people in the North to be able to grow up to be publishers, writers, and creatives and to not presume that they will need to leave the region to achieve their ambitions.” 

New Writing North is based in Newcastle upon Tyne and leads the development of creative writing and reading in the North of England. They are a proud charity and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation that has been producing nationally significant work since 1996 with the belief that writing talent is everywhere, but that opportunities are not. 

The UK’s publishing industry contributes £11 billion overall to the economy alone. New writing North has worked with Hachette UK and Northumbria university previously on a number of initiatives that seek to re-balance the current southern-centric writing industries. A new audiobook studio based at Northumbria University's city centre campus was announced this month, with Andrew Michael Hurley's new novel Barrowbeck being the first major production. 

The CEO of New Writing North Claire Malcolm MBE, said: “The huge outpouring of support from professional writers up and down the country is incredibly welcome. We’re proud to lead the development of creative writing and reading in the North, and know first-hand the transformative power it has. Investment into a new centre of national import will help revitalise the region, attract inward investment and help train and develop a new generation of local talent.” 

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “The North East is a powerhouse of creativity and culture and as mayor, I have made commitments to build our economy around creative industries, writing, publishing, and film. Doing so will transform people’s life chances, unearth hidden talent, and ensure our creative voice is heard on the national and world stage. I’m calling on Ministers at DCMS to back our ambition, and help unleash the talent and potential of our great North East.” 

Keep reading for the Open Letter in full and a list of the signatures.

A CREATIVE CALL TO ARMS: OPEN LETTER 

We are supporting New Writing North’s call for Lisa Nandy and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to back a major new centre for the writing industries. After over a decade of funding cuts for the arts, now is the time to invest and New Writing North’s plan will bring transformation to the North. 

Writing is an art that the UK excels in and it plays a major role in the Creative Industries – underpinning publishing, media, film, TV, audio, and spilling over into games, music, theatre, local news and innovations in VR and AI, alongside jobs in related industries such as communications. 

For too long, the writing industries have been centred in London and the South East, creating an unbalanced eco-system, spread of jobs, and barriers to those in underserved and northern communities. 

The UK’s publishing industry contributes £11 billion overall to the economy and the industry exports more books than any other country globally. International demand for UK publishing is set to grow by a further 20% in the next decade.  

Bringing the writing industries to the North will have wide benefits for the writing talent here and will create creative, meaningful, and fulfilling jobs.  

Literacy is proven to improve just about every aspect of life. People with poor literacy skills are significantly more likely to experience poverty, live in poor quality housing, be unemployed, become a perpetrator or victim of crime, have poor physical or mental health, and even lead shorter lives. 

The Centre for Writing will support writing and reading initiatives in the community, as well as the professionals (writers and publishers) that create the content to be read. 

Investment in the Centre for Writing and Publishing will revitalise the region, attract inward investment, and help train and develop a new generation of local talent, a mission backed by the North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.  

We want young people in the North to be able to grow up to be publishers, writers, and creatives and to not presume that they will need to leave the region to achieve their ambitions. 

I am putting my voice to the campaign for a new writing centre of national import.  

This investment can transform people’s life chances, unearth talent, and ensure the North’s creative voice is heard on the national and world stage.  

Establishing a new centre for the writing industries in the North East is a vital first step to make that happen. 

Ann Cleeves OBE, Crimewriter and patron of the Reading for Wellbeing project, North Tyneside. 

Pat Barker CBE FRSL, (Novelist), County Durham 

David Almond OBE FRSL (Novelist), Tynemouth 

Val McDermid, FRSL FRSE HonHFRIAS 

Mick Herron FRSL, (Novelist), Oxford 

Lee Hall (Screenwriter), London 

Peter Straughan (Screenwriter), Hastings 

David Peace (Novelist), Tokyo, Japan 

Peter James. D.Litt. (Hon.) (Writer)  

Terri White (Journalist & Author), Northwest England  

Dr Jill Dawson, FRSL (Writer) Norfolk 

Sara Collins, (Writer), London 

Irenosen Okojie, MBE (novelist and Festival Director), London 

Adele Parks MBE (Writer), Tees Valley 

Andrew O’Hagan, FRSL, (Writer), London 

Ross Raisin (Writer), York 

Benjamin Myers, FRSL (Author and Screenwriter) Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. 

Debbie Taylor (Editor of Mslexia), Newcastle-upon-Tyne 

Tony Williams (Writer and Professor of Creative Writing), Northumberland 

Amelia Loulli (Writer), Newcastle upon Tyne. 

Degna Stone (Poet), Gateshead 

Holly Turner (Novelist), Cramlington 

Dr Susannah Ronnie (Writer), Northumberland 

Ian McMillan, (Writer and broadcaster), Barnsley, South Yorkshire  

Sarah Hall, FRSL (Novelist), Kendal, Cumbria  

Paul Smith, (Musician, Maximo Park), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Louise Doughty, (Novelist and Screenwriter), London 

Ishy Din (Playwright and Screenwriter), Middlesbrough 

Michael Chaplin (Playwright, Screenwriter, Author), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Dr Adelle Stripe (Author) Calder Valley, West Yorkshire  

Okechukwu Nzelu FRSL (Novelist) Manchester 

Jayshree Patel, (Screenwriter), Greater Manchester 

Dr Yvonne Reddick, FHEA 

Harry Man (Author), Stockton on Tees 

Kit Fan FRSL (Author and Poet), York 

Karen Powell (Author), York 

Patricia Grace King (Author) MFA, PhD, Durham 

Carmen Marcus, FRSA, (Author and Playwright) Redcar 

Lisette Auton (Author and playwright), Darlington 

Carina Rodney (Playwright and Screenwriter), North Tyneside 

Dr Lucie Brownlee (Author), County Durham 

Chloe Daykin (Author), Northumberland  

Cays Davies, FRSL, (Author), Scotland 

Dr Louise Powell (Author and Playwright), Middlesbrough 

Ian Fenton, Creative Producer and Educator, Tees Valley 

Mari Hannah, (Author and Screenwriter), Northumberland 

Neil Bushnell (Author), Tees Valley 

Adam Farrer (Author), Manchester 

Alan Johnson (Author and former MP), Hull 

Anna Woodford (Poet), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Doug Johnstone, (Writer) Edinburgh 

Dr Anna Barker, (Poet), Durham 

Richard T Kelly, (Writer), London 

Dan Smith, (Writer), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Dr Bob Beagrie, (Poet), Middlesbrough 

Dr Jake Morris-Campbell, (Poet), Oswestry  

Fadia Faqir, (Writer), Ushaw Moor, County Durham 

Tawseef Khan, (Novelist), Manchester 

Mark Nixon (Writer), Country Durham 

Alison Carr (Writer), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton (Novelist), Sheffield and Cambridge. 

Katie Hale, (Novelist and Poet), Cumbria 

Julie Ward (Writer), Board Member, Culture Action Europe, County Durham 

Lucy Nichol (Novelist), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Victoria Morley (Writer), Tyneside 

Lisa Matthews, (Poet and Content Designer), North West 

Rishi Dastidar, (Critic), London 

Yvonne Reddick, (Writer), Manchester 

Preti Taneja FRSL, Writer and Professor of World Literature and Creative Writing, Newcastle Upon Tyne 

Vici Wreford-Sinnott (Playwright and Screenwriter), Tees Valley. 

Margaret Wilkinson (Novelist), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Claire Dupree Jeans, (Editor), Northumberland 

Emma Layfield, (Children’s Books North Agency), Manchester 

John Challis (Poet), North Shields 

Linda France (Poet), Northumberland 

Mymona Bibi (Writer), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Dr Dan Jackson, (Writer) Northumberland  

Dr Rachael Allen, (Poet and Editor), London 

Sunila Galappatti (Writer and Editor), London 

Emily Wiseman (Writer and Educator), Newcastle upon Tyne 

Sophie Yeo, (Writer), Durham 

Professor Kit de Waal (Author), West Midlands