MENTORING AND CRITICAL
FEEDBACK SERVICE
These services are not currently open, we will let you know when we are able to resume them.
We will also give advice on how individuals can access these services outside our core programme.

MENTORING

Mentoring is an intensive, one-on-one professional
and personal development process involving
the judicious pairing of an emerging talent with
a proven professional mentor. The utility of this
approach has been proven in a wide range of
fields. While mentoring is relatively new in the
UK literary sector, over the last few years it has
grown into a major training service, being offered
throughout the UK and Ireland by a number of
literary development organisations.
CWN ’s mentoring programme has developed
from a pilot scheme over the last three years. As
well as creating extra mentoring places, we have
been able to liaise with national bodies, such as
Literature Training and assess our programme
in comparison with others in different regions.
We were consulted by New Writing North,
and included as a delivery body in their recent
Mentoring Handbook. Through Literature
Training, we also accessed training in Professional
Development Planning sessions, allowing us to
enhance our services and offer further support
to mentees at the end of the process in order to
increase the value of the service.
Our mentoring process is structured to provide
maximum access to aspiring writers. Places are
free and open to anyone with a completed draft
manuscript which constitutes a substantial body
of work. Texts are sent to us through an open call
for submissions. Texts matching the requirements
are grouped by literary form and sent to suitable
experienced writers, who then choose the text
they feel they can best aid.
Mentor and mentee then meet face to face six
times, working on developing and improving the
text, in a process which lasts three to six months.
Mentees are offered our advice and guidance

Apply with your name, contact address, phone
number and email address on a separate sheet ,
synopsis (500 words) and artistic bio (200 words)
along with a letter of introduction and rationale
for making the application (1000 max) Submit one
A4 double-spaced copy of your submission and
complete manuscript, script or collection with an
additional copy of all these on CD. Submissions
cannot be returned.
If you are short-listed for selection, you may have
to undergo an interview. If chosen you will have
to enter into a mentoring contract with CWN and
abide by its terms.
Submissions will be accepted between the dates
of September 6 and October 14, 2008. No late
submissions will be considered. . If insufficient
manuscripts are received a further intake may be
announced later in the year.

Professional Reading Service

PRS is an opportunity for writers with a substantial
body of work to receive anonymous written
feedback from a professional in the publishing
industry. This programme is aimed at writers who
are trying to publish a particular text, but not
finding success, or writers who are struggling with
a particular text and require some clarification or
direction.

Who should consider applying?
Only writers resident in Northern Ireland are
eligible. Selection will be made on the quality of
the submission. All decisions are final.
This process is subsidized by funding from the
Arts Council of Northern Ireland, but requires
a contribution of £50 towards the costs by the