Voices From our Regions

The English regions: richly diverse environments of narrative and adventure; conflict and character.

Yet the stories of those whose lives play out across the wider map of the country remain still underserved by a publishing industry in thrall to the capital city.Shining the spotlight on three debut novels - Laura Blake's Birmingham-based Go Home Birdie Brown, looking at the lived experience of a woman caught up in the midst of the Windrush Scandal, Manish Chauhan's Leicester-set Belgrave Road, a love story of lunchtime trysts and the space that exists between strangers and Sufiyaan Salam's Wimmy Road Boyz, a vibrant depiction of youth and masculinity on Manchester's 'Curry Mile' - this event will celebrate new fiction set outside the borders of the M25, and writers making a mark in publishing from the perceived peripheries of the industry.This event is presented in partnership with Wasafiri magazine and is chaired by its Editor, Sana Goyal.