What's On

Have you ever wanted to write your own TV show, film script or play? Do you have a great idea for a story that you’d love to share with the world? Join Belona Greenwood for a creative writing workshop where you’ll get the chance to write the opening scene of your very own script. Maybe […]

Have you ever wanted to write your own TV show, film script or play, but don’t know where to start? Whether you want to write purely for yourself or for a career on the big screen, this workshop will give you the tools to explore your ideas. Through group discussions and creative writing exercises led […]

Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, now home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a full guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th Century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Dragon Hall has had a fascinating and colourful history – starting life […]

From the pharaohs of ancient Egypt to the Great Fire of London, history has many stories to expand and explore. In this workshop designed for budding writers, you’ll explore past worlds, learn the skills you need to turn historical fact into fiction, and write the opening of your own story. Designed for young people aged […]

Do you enjoy reading and writing about ancient civilisations, or important moments in history? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend the day with history’s heroes, or to face its villains? In this workshop designed for budding writers, you’ll explore past worlds, learn the skills you need to turn historical fact […]

Each month, we open our doors for an informal, friendly drop-in evening of conversation, ideas and support. Open to anyone who makes, reads and works with words, the Dragon Hall Social is an opportunity to grab a drink from the bar, meet people, cook up plans and compare notes, to talk books, and to hear […]

Join Story Machines at Dragon Hall for a powerful one-man show, led by emerging actor Gary Lee, that explores the stories that are rarely heard and the experiences from inside the storm of the pandemic. Based on Paperchains – an anthology of 30 stories of lockdown, from people with experience of prison, homelessness, addiction, and […]

Pick up a walking trail map from the Festival Box Office, any time between 13-29 May. Discover Norwich of the past, present and future through newly commissioned stories from five brilliant writers with ties to the city: Andy Bennett, Hannah Levene, Victoria Adukwei-Bulley, Piers Harrison-Reid and Jessica Streeting. Grab a map from the Box Office […]

Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, now home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a full guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th Century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Dragon Hall has had a fascinating and colourful history – starting life […]

Workout! is a poetry-theatre show about exercise and anxiety. Funny, inventive and heart wrenching, Lewis Buxton tells the story of a life through obsessions and exercise routines – a story drenched in the sweat on t-shirts, a poem that weighs as heavy as dumbbells. From sit ups in his bedroom to being hungover in changing […]

Deception Island runs Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 May, on the hour every hour between 12noon – 9pm Step inside an exact replica of an Antarctic hut and be transported to Deception Island, a tiny caldera in the Antarctic Ocean, battered by the fiercest seas in the world and shaken by volcanic activity. Here the […]

Discover Norwich of the past, present and future through newly commissioned poems from five brilliant writers with ties to the city: Andy Bennett, Hannah Levene, Victoria Adukwei-Bulley, Piers Harrison-Reid and Jessica Streeting. On this guided walk you’ll experience Norwich with fresh eyes and encounter the people and locations that inspired each writers’ work. Featuring pop-up […]

Join us for a discussion of A.K. Blakemore’s ‘riveting, unsettling’ debut novel The Manningtree Witches; winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2021, Waterstones Fiction Book of the Month (November 2021) and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2021. At this informal session you’ll meet like-minded readers and discuss the themes, characters and structure of […]

Internationally bestselling author Mieko Kawakami returns to Norwich to discuss her pulsing, poetic and shocking third novel, All the Lovers in the Night (translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd). Mieko is one of an exciting new generation of Japanese authors and her novels Breasts and Eggs and Heaven were both cult hits. About Mieko […]

From communicating where the next meal is, to drumming out a courtship dance, the impact of frequencies on humans and animals is staggering. Join musician, composer, TV presenter and educator Richard Mainwaring for an exploration of how vibrations good and bad govern everything around us. ‘Once you start reading this utterly fascinating book it is […]

Pick a book, bring a cool drink and turn off your phone for a well-deserved detox read in the beautiful surroundings of the Plantation Garden – or join in from home; from the dining room window, tucked up in bed, or in a deck chair in the garden! Make sure to take a picture of […]

The Harriet Martineau Lecture celebrates the legacy of a remarkable, world-changing woman by inviting globally-renowned radical speakers to respond to her life and work. This year’s lecture will be delivered by bestselling novelist, memoirist and literary activist Kit de Waal. The first Harriet Martineau Lecture was delivered by Ali Smith in May 2013 and featured […]

Discover Norwich of the past, present and future through newly commissioned poems from five brilliant writers with ties to the city: Andy Bennett, Hannah Levene, Victoria Adukwei-Bulley, Piers Harrison-Reid and Jessica Streeting. On this guided walk you’ll experience Norwich with fresh eyes and encounter the people and locations that inspired each writers’ work. Featuring pop-up […]

Ancestry, heritage, grief and new beginnings are explored in two brilliant debut books by Melissa Fu and Ayanna Lloyd Banwo.  Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for […]

Meet the new stars of historical fiction who are uncovering the hidden stories of our past and using them to shed light on today’s world. In their latest works, A. K. Blakemore and Guinevere Glasfurd explore repressive regimes and the women surviving within them — from the 17th-century witch trials of England, to state censorship […]

We’re celebrating! Join Sam Jordison and Eloise Millar, the co-founders of ‘revolutionary’ (Telegraph) independent publisher Galley Beggar Press, for a conversation marking ten years of publishing daring, innovative works of fiction and non-fiction. They will offer a glimpse behind the curtain at how small presses work with authors to bring books to readers, and how […]

Drop in and celebrate the vibrant independent publishing culture of the East of England. Meet the publishers, browse and purchase their work, and take part in a series of lightning talks throughout the day. The perfect Sunday event for writers, readers, editors and creators of all kinds. Participating publishers to be announced shortly. Free and […]

Discover Norwich of the past, present and future through newly commissioned poems from five brilliant writers with ties to the city: Andy Bennett, Hannah Levene, Victoria Adukwei-Bulley, Piers Harrison-Reid and Jessica Streeting. On this guided walk you’ll experience Norwich with fresh eyes and encounter the people and locations that inspired each writers’ work. Featuring pop-up […]

Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, now home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th Century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Dragon Hall has had a fascinating and colourful history – starting life as […]

Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, now home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a full guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th Century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Dragon Hall has had a fascinating and colourful history – starting life […]

Come and explore the historic Dragon Hall, now home to the National Centre for Writing, and take a full guided tour of this fascinating building. Learn more about the architectural and social history of this 15th Century building from an experienced volunteer guide. Dragon Hall has had a fascinating and colourful history – starting life […]