Writers’ Room
Our Writers’ Room at National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall is now open for bookings from writers, translators, and artists.
Your place to write in Norwich
Situated in the unique Grade-I-listed Dragon Hall on King Street, and including access to our garden, the Writers’ Room contains free, bookable desk space on Thursdays and Fridays each week, providing a retreat in the city for use by writers, artists and creatives.
Writers can expect an inspiring environment, accompanied by a warm welcome and support from NCW staff and volunteers.
Writers’ Room desks are ideal for writers aged 18+ to book for solo-based working in the city.
How it works
Desks in the Writers’ Room are available seasonally to the public, without charge, for three hours per person per day (9.30am–12.30pm, and 1.30–4.30pm), on Thursdays and Fridays each week. The rooms are available on a first come first served basis, and you are required to book your desk in advance.
Please note that block booking is discouraged and a maximum of four slots can be booked in any calendar month. Spaces are limited so please be considerate of others when booking. Anyone judged to be misusing the booking system will find their slots are cancelled.
Once a booking is made, you will receive further instructions for your arrival via email.
You will need to book three days in advance of intended use, and we ask you to please let us know if you’re no longer able to come so that we can make the desk available to others.
If you need to cancel your booking please email [email protected] or call 01603 877177 so that your desk can be released.
Please note that Dragon Hall is a public venue. Other visitors and staff may be onsite during your visit to the Writers’ Room.
Access
Desks are accessed via our Dragon Hall entrance, opposite the Butterfly Café on King Street.
The Writers’ Room has a single step up or down from the Dragon Hall entrance into the space. There is also a direct entrance from the street, which features a small lip and may not be accessible to all wheelchair users.
The Workshop Space also has a single step up or down from the Dragon Hall entrance. We regret that there is no wheelchair access to this room.
There are accessible toilets at Dragon Hall, and accessible routes to the garden.
Code of conduct
At NCW our values include being inquisitive, collaborative, and welcoming, and we ask that you treat the rooms, your fellow writers, and our staff and volunteers in this spirit.
- This is a shared space, and we ask you to respect this by not conducting phone or video calls while in the space.
- Please do not play music in the space. As above, this is a shared space. Headphones are permitted but please be mindful of volume levels.
- Food consumption is not permitted in the Writers’ Rooms, though you are welcome to eat in the garden.
- Drinks are permitted. There is no café or kitchen on-site, but you are welcome to bring non-alcoholic drinks or flasks. Please be reminded to take these away with you when you leave. There is a water cooler available in the rooms.
- We cannot store items for you, or accept items left on desks, so please leave the desks empty and clean.
- We cannot guarantee the safety of items left in the space, so please take responsibility for your own belongings.
- Please turn your phone to silent while in the space.
- No smoking or vaping is permitted in the building. There is a designated smoking or vaping area in the garden.
- We do not tolerate inappropriate, undesirable, or unacceptable behaviour and we reserve the right to refuse admission to the Writers’ Room or remove you from the building at any time.
- Users should be aware that the Writers’ Room is located in a public place and confidentiality cannot be assured while working here.
- Where Wi-Fi is available, the internet may be accessed using wireless devices only. It cannot be guaranteed that wireless devices will connect to the access points and NCW cannot offer any support for wireless devices.
- Security Access to the internet is filtered. Users should be aware that the filtering software may not block all offensive sites.
We welcome feedback on your experience so we can ensure this space functions in the most useful way for you.
More from NCW
