Inpress Writing Conference – The Route to a First Book

£2.88 per person per session if booking online, £2 in person at the shop

Suitable for ages 16+

Ever wondered what happens between the first draft and the finished book? Inpress return to WRITE Festival to pull back the curtain on the publishing process, bringing together poets, novelists and non-fiction writers alongside the publishers and editors who helped shape their work.

Across three intimate conversations, you’ll hear frank talk about the realities of getting published, the creative partnerships, the compromises, the breakthroughs, and everything the acknowledgements page doesn’t tell you. Each discussion will be followed by a Q&A.

Session 1 – The Route to a First Book, 11am – 12pm

North East writers Emma J. Lannie and Mae Tang join Nathaniel Spain, editor of Carnyx Press, to talk short fiction and the road from manuscript to print. Mae was shortlisted for the Hachette Children’s Novel Award for her novel-in-progress before placing stories with Carnyx, while Emma’s collection found a home with Mantle Lane Press after years of writing for anthologies and journals. With Nathaniel offering the editor’s-eye view, this session is for anyone wondering how short fiction credits build toward a first book and what an editor is actually looking for. – BOOK TICKETS

ABOUT WRITE FESTIVAL 2026

This event is part of The Word’s WRITE Festival which takes place throughout the whole of September. Enjoy a programme of unmissable events, workshops and performances! Find ou more by viewing our full WRITE Festival programme.