The School of English and the School of European Culture and Languages worked together to organise ‘Writing for a living’, an event for students across the Faculty of Humanities taking place as part of the University’s ‘Humanities for Hire’ festival on Wednesday 27 February 2019.
Dr Jeremy Scott, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics and a published author, chaired an expert panel of professional writers – including SECL graduate Emily Cook – who discussed the trials and tribulations of making a living from the written word. The panel of writers, drawn from a range of careers including novelists, lecturers, journalists, freelance writers and poets, shared their insights into breaking into this competitive, frustrating and rewarding profession.
Following the event, Heidi Colthup, panellist and Lecturer in English Language & Linguistics, commented: ‘It was great to have a packed room for the panel, and to speak to so many students afterwards who wanted to know more about how to get a career in writing started. The event was a very good opportunity to hear a wide variety of experiences about writing for a living and how surprisingly accessible it can be’