Ellen Renton joined the programming team at the National Centre for Writing from April – June this year.

As a student of creative writing and a performing poet, I have always been keen to learn more about the work that goes into organising literary events. Therefore, I was thrilled to take up the position of Programme Intern back in April.

My placement spanned a very busy period for the organisation with the relaunch of Writers’ Centre Norwich as the National Centre for Writing. It was particularly exciting to witness the transformation of Dragon Hall and to gain a greater understanding of how the new centre will benefit the writing community.

Much of the work that I carried out during the internship revolved around two series of events: the City of Literature portion of Norwich & Norfolk Festival, and the Worlds Symposium. These were very different festivals by nature and I found it fascinating to observe and help with the nuanced levels of organisation that were required for each. I was given several opportunities to combine working in the office with helping out at the events themselves, and not only did this allow me to hear readings and performances by brilliant writers, but it also taught me a great deal about the value of effective teamwork and paying attention to detail.

Aside from the numerous practical and more quantifiable skills that I was given the opportunity to improve upon, I feel that my time at the National Centre for Writing has undoubtedly given me more confidence in a working environment, and has deepened my interest in literature programming. I am very grateful to all of the team for welcoming me and giving me so many varied chances to develop and learn from them.

@ellen_renton