The Swanwick Writers' Summer School is an annual writers' conference held at The

Hayes Conference Centre The Hayes Conference Centre is a group of buildings in Swanwick, UK which are used for conferences and other functions. The building which now houses the centre's reception was built in the 1850s as a private residence and named Swanwick Hayes ...

, near Swanwick, Derbyshire. Founded in 1948, and first held in the summer of 1949, it is believed to be the oldest independent writers' school in the world. Established as a charity and run on a not for profit basis, it was inspired by the London Writers Circle. Early celebrities that featured at the School included,

Vera Brittain Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist. Her best-selling 1933 memoir ''Testament of Youth'' recounted her experiences during the First ...

L.P. Hartley Leslie Poles Hartley (30 December 1895 – 13 December 1972) was a British novelist and short story writer. Although his first fiction was published in 1924, his career was slow to take off. His best-known novels are the '' Eustace and Hilda'' ...

Hammond Innes Ralph Hammond Innes (15 July 1913 – 10 June 1998) was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as works for children and travel books. Biography Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Feltonfleet School, Cobham, Surrey ...

and Arthur C. Clarke The first chairman was Cecil Hunt, a chairman of the London Writers' Circle. Early delegates included the booker prize nominee,

Barbara Pym Barbara Mary Crampton Pym FRSL (2 June 1913 – 11 January 1980) was an English novelist. In the 1950s she published a series of social comedies, of which the best known are ''Excellent Women'' (1952) and '' A Glass of Blessings'' (1958). In 1977 ...

, one of whose novels, ''No Fond Return of Love'', is inspired, in part, by Swanwick itself. Associated with the school for over fifteen years as member, host and lecturer was Booker Prize Winner Paul Scott. He refers to the role Swanwick plays in creative writing in his published essays. Over the years Swanwick has played an important role in the social development of creative writing.

The School

Established postwar, it formed part of the continuing process of democratization of writing begun by many amateur groups in the 1920s and 1930s. From its founding in 1948, the aim of the school has been to provide a social and educational framework for the development of creative writing skills. Its role in the establishment of creative writing in the UK has meant that it has been a platform for eminent speakers, from

in 1952 to Sir

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchett's first nov ...

. It has also been closely associated with the development of women's writing. Members range from seasoned authors with numerous published books to those new to writing. The inclusive community is designed to enable the sharing of experiences, best practice and support for individual writers' creative writing.

Derbyshire Record Office The Derbyshire Record Office, established in 1962, is the county record office for Derbyshire, England. It holds archives and local studies material for the County of Derbyshire and the City of Derby and Diocese of Derby. It is situated in Matl ...

houses the school's historical records, reflecting its importance in the development of creative writing in the UK. These archives (ref: D5886) include the school minutes; comment books and correspondence.

Authors

Noted authors who have been members of the school over the years include Eleanor Burford, John Boland,

Garry Hogg Garry Hogg (1902–1976) was an English writer, journalist, reviewer, broadcaster and lecturer. Education He studied English Language and Literature at Wadham College, University of Oxford, and went on to become a schoolmaster. He was an office ...

Vivian Stuart Violet Vivian Stuart ( ''née'' Finlay; 2 January 1914 – 18 August 1986) was a British writer from 1953 to 1986. She published under different pen names: her romantic novels as Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, and Robyn ...

, Paul Scott,

Nina Bawden Nina Bawden CBE, FRSL, JP (19 January 1925 – 22 August 2012) was an English novelist and children's writer. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987 and the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010. She is one of very few who have both se ...

Carla Lane Romana Barrack (5 August 1928 – 31 May 2016), known professionally as Carla Lane, was an English television writer responsible for several successful British sitcoms, including ''The Liver Birds'' (co-creator, 1969–1979), ''Butterflies'' (19 ...

and

Margaret Drabble Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd, (born 5 June 1939) is an English biographer, novelist and short story writer. Drabble's books include '' The Millstone'' (1965), which won the following year's John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize, and ''Jer ...

Topwrite

In 2005, the School obtained a grant from

Awards for All An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

to launch the TopWrite project to support young writers and help close the gaps between the commercial, literary and academic writing worlds.

References

External links

Derby Record OfficeThe Hayes Conference CentreSwanwick Writers' Summer School by Writers Magazine
* *{{Facebook, Swanwick-Writers-Summer-School-181130258685738, Swanwick: The Writers' Summer School Creative writing programs Cultural charities based in the United Kingdom Writers' conferences Culture in Derbyshire 1949 establishments in England