SPECIAL GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT - Golden Egg North

SPECIAL GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT

Tilda Johnson, 

The Golden Egg Academy North

When was the Golden Egg Academy North set up and why?

 When I moved to Manchester the Golden Egg Academy had been in business for around five years, and I was well aware of it and some of the writers who had reached publication after studying with Golden Egg. But at that point (in 2017) all workshops and editorials took place in London or the SW (at Imogen's kitchen table initially!), and 'Eggs' from further away had to organise travel and sometimes accommodation. Imogen was really keen to set up a Northern hub, so once we got in touch Golden Egg North came about fairly swiftly! 

There was a really positive response when I set up the first regional branch, in Manchester, and we've since opened further branches for Wales & the SW, Brighton and Scotland. Writing and developing a novel is a hugely personal experience, so many writers (and editors!) are keen to meet and connect in person when they can - having a local editor is a real draw. I began running my first twelve-month course in January 2018, so Golden Egg North has just come to the end of its third year.

Where is Golden Egg North based?

For the most part, wherever I am! Though our writers are spread across the NE, the NW, Yorkshire, Cheshire, North Wales - and initially I had a couple of students attending from Scotland too. Before COVID-19, I conducted my workshops in Manchester, in the fantastic MMU buildings (thank you, Manchester Children's Book Festival and Kaye Tew for your support!). Hannah Featherstone is the other member of my team, and we held editorial meetings in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and the Midlands, trying to accommodate our writers as far as possible. Of course, we've had to shift our workshops and editorial meetings online. Although I really miss seeing my writers in person, working virtually certainly has its benefits for everyone, and it does provide more flexibility with editorial check-ins and meetings. My new class for 2021 is a mix of Northerners and writers as far away as Oman - it'll be great to eventually meet at least some of them in person, but it's also fantastic to be able to come together from far and wide. It's going to be a really fun group. 

Summer Social 2020

What genres and age groups do you cover?

Golden Egg North and the wider fiction team work on stories for 7+ to YA. I've always loved working across a wide age range for children's fiction, as well as different genres. As editors, we're very lucky to dip into so many story worlds and revisit them as they develop and grow. It's a real privilege. (There is also a brilliant Golden Egg picture book team, headed up by Tessa Strickland - who, in usual times, hosts annual open-to-all masterclasses at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. I look forward to those returning too!)

How do your workshops and courses work?

Our twelve-month course is structured over three terms, like a school year. Each term begins with a full-day workshop, followed by weekly online classes or webinars. At the end of each term, the writers submit a section of their text (and any overview documents) to their editor, who prepares notes ahead of their one-to-one editorial meetings. But we have a range of offerings and options. In the later stages of the Golden Egg process - called 'Mentoring' - we work one-on-one with a writer as they polish their text and prepare for submission. When ready, we help them submit to agents and editors. 

The very first Golden Egg North workshop!

What are your 2021 plans for the Golden Egg Academy North?

I can't wait until we can all get together in person and have a big social! We did this in December 2019, and I really missed it this year. In spring 2019 we had a fantastic tour of Seven Stories, were allowed to handle some amazing material from their archives and looked around the incredible exhibition about David Almond's work. Meanwhile, we've got a fantastic 'Honkference' coming up at the end of this month, which is free and open to the public - if you're already writing or interested in writing for children or teens, come along! The new Golden Egg Club is also open to the public and will be an editor-led community to help nurture and support writers as they draft (and redraft!) and edit their work. 

A photo from the Seven Stories exhibition about David Almond's work

What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?

More children's publishers, both large and small! There are very few children's fiction teams in the north of England, and thus there are fewer publishing professionals and agencies too. It would be great to see more children's fiction publishers focusing on promoting regional voices/creatives... but publishing in the North needn't be defined only by its location. Or contained within it. As quoted above: 'the local really does contain the universal'. I'm excited to see some very necessary cultural shifts in publishing, as this side of the industry develops further in the North. There is an astounding wealth of children's books being created here, by some of the best in the industry. 

You can follow Tilda, Golden Egg North and The Golden Egg Academy on Twitter. 

https://goldeneggacademy.co.uk/