Significant Ink: Newcastle, Life Writing with Nadine Aisha Jassat

About this event:

Location: One Strawberry Lane, Innovation Hub, NE1 4BX

Time: 17.30 - 19.30

Date: Wednesday 8th July 2026

Refund policy: Free event

A bit about the workshop:

*Please bring with you an object that has significance to you in your life or your story. Photographs of the object are fine if you'd rather not travel with it.

Significant Ink: Newcastle brings you a free Life Writing workshop with Nadine Aisha Jassat at One Strawberry Lane. You could have some experience with life writing or you could be brand new! Places are open to people who are 18+ and are part of the global majority. If you like the sound of this workshop, you might also be interested in the free short stories, writing for young people and ‘idea to page’ workshops as part of Significant Ink: Newcastle.

Significant Ink: Newcastle is also open for applications from emerging global majority writers from 10th June – 16th July. Three winners will be selected to receive a bursary of £1,000, mentoring, peer-to-peer support and development opportunities with partners. More details here. Due to funding from the North East Combined Authority, this part of the programme is only available to people who live within the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland), and who are not enrolled in full-time education or another government programme when the programme begins.

About the Workshop Facilitator: Nadine Aisha Jassat

Nadine Aisha Jassat is the author of acclaimed poetry collection Let Me Tell You This, (‘beautifully written, immense and full of passion’ – Nikita Gill), and three middle grade mysteries in verse. The Stories Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them), was described by Sophie Anderson as ‘one of those books that truly makes the world a better place.’ The Carnegie-nominated The Hidden Story of Estie Noor was described by Maisie Chan as ‘a warm hug of a book’. And her latest novel, The House At The Edge of The World was named ‘charismatic’ and ‘enchanting’ by The Guardian.

Nadine has taught and performed internationally and across media, including BBC Scotland’s The Big Scottish Book Club and Author’s Live. She has been published widely, and features in popular anthologies such as Picador’s It’s Not About the Burqa (Shortlisted for Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year), Polygon’s The People’s City, and Bloodaxe's Staying Human. Her work has drawn significant acclaim, with her writing for adults shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, a Herald Scottish Culture Award for Outstanding Literature, and winning a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award; and her writing for children longlisted for a UKLA Book Award and the Jhalak Prize, and shortlisted for an Alexandra Palace Book Award and a James Reckitt Hull Book Award.

Nadine lives in Scotland, and grew up in the North of England with a Yorkshire mum and Zimbabwean Dad. She is of mixed heritage; a heritage which can only be told in stories. Nadine Aisha Jassat

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Access: You can find One Strawberry Lane’s access information here.

The workshop is free but you do need to book a place.

You don’t need to live in a particular local authority to attend the workshop. You do need to live in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside or Sunderland to apply to be one of the three selected writers, and must not be enrolled in full-time education or another government programme when the programme begins.

Please see Award Eligibility, Conditions of Entry, Significant Ink: Newcastle FAQs. If you have checked the FAQs and have further questions, please contact emilylow@newwritingnorth.com.