It is a bright warm day in April and the clocks are striking thirteen (sort of.)

Ah, if only George Orwell were here to compose this ‘ere first blog on our new website.  I suspect the awesome pressure may have compelled him to compose the best work of his career, but we shall never know.  For he is not in Norwich today to see the soft light dappling through the windows.  Instead you will have to put up with me.

It’s all change here at New Writin…I mean Writers’ Centre Norwich.  Spring is most definitely springing, the clocks have flown backwards, and we have the windows flung open to let in the warm sunny air.  We also have a brand new name, logo, and this beautiful website on which to share these changes with you.  It is only temporary, until an even better all-singing-all-dancing version goes live this summer, but for now I think it will do very nicely indeed.

And now, after all that preamble, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Sam Ruddock and I am Creative Writing Assistant at Writers’ Centre Norwich.  I’ve only recently joined from a bookselling background (can you tell?) and now constantly find myself fighting the urge to lug heavy boxes up stairs and cram nice new works of fiction onto overfilled shelves.

That said I am delighted to have moved to an organisation which lies at the heart of literature in Norwich and Norfolk.  Every week it seems another exciting project appears on the horizon.  From Blogging Norfolk later this month, to Art Alive in May, and Worlds in June there is always plenty to get involved with.

So, now that we know a little more about each other, how about we celebrate this fine day with a quick quiz?

Question:

What do an artist, a singer, a lawyer, a linguist, a teacher, a playwright, an academic, and a journalist have in common?

Answer:

They were each Escalator winners for 2007/08 and have now joined together to form Absolute Fiction, a fistful of writers hammering at the gates of publishing.  On Saturday April 25th they will be performing live at the ADC Theatre as part of Cambridge Wordfest.  It is an early bird event (10-11am), perfect for those emerging writers who wish to get tips on catching the worm; the worm in this case being a juicy plump publishing contract.

For programme information please go to www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk and for booking information to www.adctheatre.com (01223 300085).

In related news, our current crop of Escalator winners are putting the finishing touches to their live poetry sets which they will be performing as part of The Next Stage, three days of live literature and music from the East of England’s best Escalator talent.  Part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, The Next Stage will take place between Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th May at Norwich Arts Centre.  You can see further details about our winners and the showcase here, or to book tickets please go to www.norwichartscentre.co.uk or call 01603 660352.

For a full list of all the events taking place during Norfolk & Norwich Festival 09, including an evening with Martin Amis at the Norwich Playhouse on May 7th, please visit http://www.nnfestival.org.uk/

We are coming to the end of this debut blog and there is nothing much left to say.  Perhaps if George Orwell were here this post might come full circle and conclude with some poignant lesson in human nature.  I, on the other hand, will leave you wanting more: Escalator 2009/10 is coming soon, keep checking back here for details…