With the help of high-profile self-published novelists like Stephen King, indie authors are taking on the status of feisty, high-quality writers determined to take control of their work. If you want to learn more about how to go about publishing your book then join us at Indie Publishing Day at Nottingham Writers' Studio on Saturday 7th November 2015. For full programme details visit our website: www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk

US poet and Poetry School and Arvon tutor, Kathryn Maris, comes to Leicester for a special one-day event on the American Confessional School of poetry on Saturday, 28th November. By looking at the work of poets including Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, John Berryman and Sharon Olds, Kathryn will show us how we can learn from them to write our own autobiographical poetry. This is a rare treat for us at The Writing School and not to be missed! To book a place visit the website on www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk

John Gallas brings his poetry eye to a new reading course on some of our major 20th Century poets writing in English, including T.S. Eliot, WH Auden, Ted Hughes and Stevie Smith. Suitable for everyone interested in poetry - not just poets - this 8 week course will introduce you to poems you might not know, and look in detail at ones you do. It starts 18 Nov at  Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester. To book a place visit the website on www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk.

The excellent Victoria Villasenor returns to Writing School in Nottingham to bring you a course for writers who know they want to write a novel, but aren’t sure where to start. Over 6 weeks, you'll look at plot, character and story construction and discuss story arcs, voice and craft to workshop your first novel into something you can continue to work on. It takes place at Waterstones Nottingham, and starts Monday19 Oct – 23 Nov.
Book your place in person at Waterstones Nottingham, or visit our website on www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk

Inspired by the 1000s of people who take part in National Novel Writing Month, we bring you a course to help you write your novel in just one month. Taught by Adele Wearing of Fox Spirit Books, the course is designed to keep you motivated and inspired, to problem-solve and help you meet your daily word count. It runs every Sunday from 1-29 Nov at Phoenix Arts in Leicester. To book a place visit the website on www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk.

Whose words have moved you to tears, to action, to love? Who has inspired you to write, to stand up and be counted, to find a voice or give a voice to others? Maybe it’s Maya Angelou, June Jordan or Alice Walker, Derek Walcott, Nelson Mandela or Kamau Brathwaite, Louise Bennett or Jean Binta Breeze or Langston Hughes or Martin Luther King?  Join us on Thursday 29^th  October  - all you need to do is add your name to our bloggers list, share your blog and visit other bloggers. For more details visit our website: www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/i-have-a-dream-2015-blog-hop

The East Midlands Book Award (EMBA) is a prestigious literary prize awarded annually to the Best Book written by an East Midlands Author. Every year £1000 is awarded to a writer of Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Poetry or Plays. This can include work aimed at children and young people.The aim of the award is to promote writers who live in the East Midlands, to raise the profile of the thriving literary scene in the region, and to reward exceptional work.

Submissions are now being accepted from publishers for books published between 1st January and 31st December 2015. If you are an author and you think your book is eligible, ask your publisher to submit (self-published books are not eligible for submission). If you're a publisher, please see the EMBA guidelines for eligibility details. Authors must be living in the East Midlands to be eligible.