Insightful, empowering, and intelligent discussions left the audience feeling truly inspired after Clare McGlynn and Natasha Walter’s conversation.

As McGlynn and Walter, wonderfully chaired by Professor Jane McNaughton at Durham University, were led into a discussion about feminist, environmental, and human rights issues, what struck me was the absolute insistence in talking about complicated issues. Talking about these issues is the first step to solving them.

Natasha Walter, celebrated author, journalist, and human rights activist, discussed her most recent book Feminism for a World on Fire, linking the climate emergency directly with violence towards women and misogyny. She contributes to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Breakfast, and Channel 4 News alongside having written for the Guardian, the Independent, and the Observer. Walters sees liberation and progression of women as a collective endeavour, pushing back against the idea of individual empowerment as almost a pristinely packaged consumer item.

Clare McGlynn is a Law Professor at Durham University who is leading conversations on the regulation of pornography, sexual violence, and online abuse; appointed honorary KC in recognition of her leadership in reforming the law on extreme pornography. Her debut book Exposed: The Rise of Extreme Porn and How We Fight Back is a case study into the patriarchal forces that oppress women through extreme porn. She also contributes to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Today programmes, and ITV News.

The event started with each author introducing themselves and their books, as well as setting out what their books centred on, followed by an excerpt being read from Exposed. Perhaps the event would have benefitted from some symmetry and an excerpt read from Feminism for a World on Fire, but due to time constraints there was no opportunity for this.

I specifically enjoyed the declaration from Walter that feminism does not mean hatred or working against men, instead it is a communal effort to make the system better for everyone. She emphasises that patriarchy places enormous pressure on men as well as women and is detrimental to everyone. Similarly, McGlynn claims that not all porn is bad, it is what she calls “big porn” that is detrimental to everyone and that is being pushed in everyone’s faces. Patriarchal porn is completely different to indie porn, she argues. Both authors agreed that patriarchy is an underlying systemic issue that is not eternal or unsolvable but will require immense amounts of effort to start to fix.

I thought that the event and speakers were truly inspirational, however I would have appreciated increased conversation between them. While the subject of their individual books is slightly different, the fundamental issue of feminism still remains the same, and a more natural, longer conversation between them would have made the event even better. Discussion began around the 30-minute mark, which left only 20 minutes for conversation before audience questions began.

Both authors were extremely passionate, and the discussion was excellent guided thanks to the great chairing of Jane McNaughton. Expertly crafted questions captured the passion and overall goal of the books, and this made the experience incredibly enjoyable. By sharing a personal experience of talking to her son about sexual violence, she bridged the gap between the audience and the authors by relating everyday experience to theoretical thought.

The event closed with a link to today’s political climate, Walter claiming that women are facing new and old challenges simultaneously. McGlynn added that the desensitisation to political and cultural context in our world will eventually lead us into an authoritarian state (currently the growing reality for America, she suggested), and the only way we can fight against this is through discussion and exposure to these difficult topics. And through the ambition of collective endeavour, added Walter.

This event was truly inspiring and the audience rushed out towards the signing table at the end, feeling like something had dramatically shifted in their consciousness. It is important to connect through communities and discussions, and this is exactly what this event facilitated.

The only major issue with this event was that it was not longer. Listening to McGlynn and Walter speak felt like listening to pure, unfiltered knowledge pouring from their mouths and I only wish I got to live in this moment forever. Alas, we must go out and make a difference.

On Saturday evening, Collected Books hosted a panel discussion on Bread Alone Anthology, a collection of essays responding to the question, ‘What happens when we run out of working-class writers?’, as part of Durham Book Festival.

The event was chaired by the Anthology’s editor Kate Pasola, who was joined by contributors Z. Raza-Sheikh and Becka White for a thought-provoking discussion which explored navigating feelings of frustration and anger, elitism in universities, the current situation for working-class authors, the reading crisis in the UK, what needs to be done to improve the situation, and writing rituals.

Kate first asked the writers to introduce their pieces to the audience. Becka White’s The Likes Of Us challenges assumptions about who reads and writes and advocates for more working-class representation in literature that portrays the lives of working-class people in an authentic way to counter often lazy and harmful representations in many popular works.

Z. Raza-Sheikh’s piece The Pseudonym Writer focuses on their experiences at university, for example being pushed into writing on obscure niches rather than on subjects that actually interested them and warns against cashing out on personal stories when trying to build a career.

Did the panelists think that the situation for working-class writers is better now? Becka and Z agreed that while there is a lot more dialogue now surrounding the importance of working-class representation, the reality has unfortunately not changed much.

Z highlighted that it is difficult to pitch without having certain/enough bylines, and that university connections are key. They said that independent magazines are providing better opportunities for working-class writers, but that funding is often an issue. Both suggested that surviving off commissions alone is pretty much impossible, and Becka highlighted that taking risks such as sabbaticals and short-term contracts aren’t often possible for writers who don’t have the cushion of a wealthy background.

When Kate asked the panelists for one thing that could be done to promote reading and writing, both writers emphasised the importance of funding libraries. Z shared that library reading challenges helped encourage them, and advocated for making libraries diverse and accessible, inter-community links such as sharing resources, and reading together as a family.

While the subjects of discussion were serious, there were moments of comic relief, for example when Z and Kate joked about being encouraged to write on obscure niches such as construction and fishing rather than subjects that they were actually interested in.

During a discussion surrounding writing rituals, Kate expressed her dislike of hearing about the writing rituals of famous writers, joking about writing after lie-ins and lavender and milk baths which elicited laughter from the audience. Discussion surrounding snatching minutes to write whenever possible for example on commutes, and the beauty of the notes app, provided a much more realistic representation of writing which I can certainly relate to myself.

The audience posed some brilliant questions to the panelists, for example, how ca

n opportunities for working-class writers be provided for the wellbeing of communities rather than just the career progression of individuals?

Kate recommended the work of New Writing North such as their community projects and writing groups, both of which I have personally benefitted from and can vouch for. The panelists emphasised the importance of reading and writing for joy and escapism and expressed that people may want to write because they have something to say, not necessarily in pursuit of a career or prize.

This discussion was a joy to witness, and I would highly recommend reading this incredible anthology of work by brilliant working-class writers.

In Susanna Clarke’s new novella, The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City, the titular bishop traverses entire worlds by walking a single step. This sense of multiplicity and expansiveness is characteristic of Clarke’s work, and was thoughtfully captured in her Durham Book Festival event, thanks in part to chair Claire Malcolm’s insightful questions.

Guiding the discussion from Clarke’s literary beginnings to her recent successes, this engaging event took its audience members on a journey though windswept Northern forests, ancient wooden castles, and into the heart of the fay world itself.

If the event were viewed as a series of steps, like in Clarke’s impressive novella, the first would take us to Susanna’s literary beginnings. The discussion of Clarke’s childhood favourite authors was particularly engaging: Clarke’s enthusiasm for her favourite books was infectious. It was also interesting to hear Clarke’s perspective as a reader, as well as a writer.

I saw nods of approval from fellow audience members when she discussed the desire to escape from social gatherings with a book. This relatable perspective effectively formed a connection between speaker and audience.

For the event’s second ‘step’, discussion moved to the North as a place of literary inspiration. Clarke’s vivid descriptions of the Northern landscape were just as engaging live as on the page. This portion of the event was particularly strong, vividly exploring the “magical” (as Clarke put it) world just beyond the theatre walls.

Moving into the third ‘step’, Clarke and Malcolm explored the connection between Clarke’s work and the natural world. The effective use of lighting in the Gala Theatre provided an apt backdrop to this part of the discussion: the slips of light panning slowly down the back wall of the stage recalled Clarke’s description of trees stirring “soil until it swirled like turbulent waters” in her new novella.

It was inspiring to hear Clarke read aloud from her work: hearing the story in Durham itself was particularly fitting.

The event’s next ‘step’ took us into Clarke’s writing process. Articulate as always, Clarke’s description of her planning process conjured images of a fantastical world: she described plot points as “islands over there in the blue” which she aimed her narratives towards. Clarke powerfully conveyed her love of writing: fantasy novels are “in her bones”, she described, while a potential sequel to the critically acclaimed Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is “still inside” her.

To me, this description recalls the fairy king in Clarke’s novella, whose fox familiar at one point “fold[s] back” into the king’s body. Clarke’s literary works, the event showed, are similarly important to her – her passion for her stories came across throughout the evening, making for an endlessly engaging audience experience.

Where did the evening’s final ‘step’ lead? Beyond the woodlands and the hills of the North, beyond Clarke’s childhood and her writing process, there was something else. In the postscript to her Durham-based novella, Clarke speaks about the role of mystery in fantasy writing: the sense that there is always something just beyond our understanding – “unnameable, unknowable”.

Clarke spoke powerfully about this sense of mystery in her Book Festival event, too: I was particularly taken by her nostalgic recollection of a line from a C. S. Lewis novel, involving a magic mirror – I cannot tell you what the mirror does, Lewis recounts, because I am not a wizard.

I experienced a similar feeling during the evening: the sense of indefinable magic, evident in Clarke’s passion for her writing and the fantastical quality of her stories, illuminated the event from start to finish. In terms of what specifically makes Clarke’s work so special – well, I am not a wizard. You’ll just have to read the books and find out for yourself.

October 9-11 marked the return of Durham Book Festival, celebrating 2026 as the year of reading. Facilitated by New Writing North and hosted at Gala Durham, the festival stretched across the weekend to celebrate thinkers, writers and performers of all forms and genres.

And what better way to celebrate Northern talent than with local historian Dan Jackson speaking on the history of NUFC and surrounding football clubs, culture and communities?

Dan Jackson is a local author based in the North East. His work The Northumbrians was named Sunday Times Book of the year in 2019. On Sunday, October 11, Dan joined an eager and proud crowd to discuss his latest release Howay the Lads’.

Howay the Lads details the history of NUFC and North Eastern culture all the way from Victorian Tyneside and Newcastle’s mining roots through to the modern-day acclaim and fame of our beloved team.

Dan was joined on stage by chair, Andy Sixsmith, Premier League and BBC Sport reporter, for a discussion laced with sharp wit and unwavering passion.

Throughout the conversation, Jackson emphasised that during his time writing Howay the lads, he wanted to do what few other written histories of NUFC had managed to achieve. That is, he aimed not only to illustrate what the roots of NUFC were and what the club’s impact has been, but to present why the team has been so central to, and likewise impacted by, northern people and communities.

Taking attendees all the way back to the beginning, Jackson walked us through the Scottish influence and talent that helped to shape NUFC into a worthy, determined band of players.

He credits the North’s mining roots for cementing professional football as a realistic career for young, local lads back in the days of Jackie Milburn. Boys in the north were raised on the physically challenging mining graft and were no strangers to teamworking down in the pits. He claimed that our miners’ heritage was seemingly training young men to be the perfect players from the very start.

Amidst Dan’s accessible presentation of Newcastle history and admiration of footballer and all-round artistic legend Colin Veitch there was too a welcome surprise, that even despite discussions of the Tyne and Wear rivalries, Jackson was not shy to credit Sunderland for their contributions to football history in the North.

Considering a wider scope than just sporting legacy, he was deliberate in noting that football clubs act as one of the few remaining third spaces for northern people - perhaps explaining how our support, interest and passion towards football has remained so fierce throughout the years. It’s no secret that us folks up north are die-hard fans or, as Dan likes to put it “Geordie daft”.

Overall, the morning was laced with the same pride evident throughout the pages of Howay the Lads.

Watching him on stage, Dan’s unwavering appreciation of his favourite team transcended his writing to deliver a most engaging conversation. It’s clear that Dan’s portrayal of Newcastle history comes not through obligation or slight curiosity, but straight from the heart.