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Our Story begins…

“Writers give readers courage – the courage to be utterly your complete and complex self.”

Jackie Kay, Professor at The Northern School of Writing, University of Salford

A collaborative school of novelists, poets, screenwriters, dramatists, journalists, podcasters, video-game and film-makers, The Northern School of Writing at Salford is a community of staff and students at The University of Salford, who read, write, research and innovate in a tradition that is rebellious, risk-taking and brave.

Our teaching, mentoring and nurturing of writers extends beyond the 15 degree courses at the University where we work, to our literary community in the north of Britain and the 24 publishers of the Northern Fiction Alliance.

Inspired by our Professor, Jackie Kay, we empower voices by working with our community and schools in the North of England, enriching lives through reading and writing, with a focus on those too often left out of our cultural conversation.

Our professors and lecturers research in interdisciplinary and applied creative writing, language, and media, putting arts to work in the community, health and wellbeing.

Join the Northern School of Writing at Salford when you choose a course at The University of Salford, and make us the next chapter of your writing life.

Professor Jackie Kay - Photo credit: Shaw and Shaw.
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Latest News

  • Meet Confingo at the NSW Publisher Fair 2025: Interview by Orlaigh Joyce

    Cōnfingō is an independent publishing house based in Manchester. Cōnfingō seeks out work of fiction, both short and long, poetry, and visual art publications. Formed in 2014 by Tim Shearer, their publishing roster now includes: David Gaffney, Nicholas Royle and DJ, Dave Haslam. Over a decade in, Cōnfingō have no interest in slowing down. Cōnfingō…

  • Meet Saraband at The NSW Publisher Fair 2025: Interview by Elizabeth Campbell

    Salford based Saraband have a formidable reputation for prize winning literary and commercial fiction and recently collaborated with The University of Salford to produce an audiobook. MA student Elizabeth Campbell spoke to founding editor Sara Hunt to find out more ahead of our publisher fair on March 27th, UoS library (11.00 – 16.00) What are…

  • Professor Jackie Kay’s poetry to be carved into the walls of Scottish Parliament

    The general public in Scotland and elsewhere are being asked to choose which three quotes from previous Scots Makars, including Salford’s own Professor Jackie Kay, should feature on the Scottish Parliament’s Canongate Wall to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the building. Jackie’s work, alongside that of Liz Lochhead and Kathleen Jamie, is presented in the form…

What is it like to intern with Penguin Random House? Click on the Penguin to find out more from Northern School of Writing Student Natalie Shore

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