We are Renaissance One
“A dream organisation… great authors, efficient organisation and lovely people.”
As a team of producers, curators, and writers based in regions around England, we reflect the contemporary literature ecology and 21st century working. This makes us responsive, clued up to local needs, and enthusiastic about literature across a range of cities and rural areas. Our main activities take place in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, London and the North West.
Our work ranges from the curation of book tours, literary readings, spoken word and poetry performances, to educational workshops and mentoring.
We populate our festivals and many of our events with a range of backgrounds, cultures, and ages. This makes for lively and engaging events at which literature is centre stage. We do this through curating, programming and producing literature in all its forms – from poetry to prose and satire to spoken word. We’re unique through our independent and entrepreneurial model, and through having a high level of advocacy for writers. Our artistic, social and economic commitment to diversity, and the arts, is reflected through a wide range of projects and events. We encourage and showcase a wide palette of voices.
Read more about our ethos in Creative Director Melanie Abrahams' interview with The Guardian ›
“Fantastic to work with. Many of their writers tour overseas for the British Council; they always provide us with excellent advice.”
Our partners
Over the years, we have collaborated with writers, organisations, and practitioners including:
Southbank Centre
Ilkley Literature Festival
Arts Council England
Africa Beyond
The British Library
Tongue Fu
Bocas
Leeds Beckett University
Miami Book Fair International
Publishers: Faber & Faber, HopeRoad Publishing, Bloodaxe Books, Peepal Tree Press, Canongate, Hamish Hamilton and more.
Writing Yorkshire
Off The Shelf Festival of Words
Apples & Snakes
Centre de Cultural Contemporania de Barcelona
Attenborough Arts Centre
Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Village Centre for New Writing, Leicester
Colonial Countryside
Our team
Rochelle Saunders
Senior Producer and Projects Manager
Marie Hanna, Bella Fine, Jacob Spivey, Dzifa Benson, Sarah Dara and Nathalie Brundell
Trainee Producers and Administration Team
Melanie Abrahams
Creative Director and Curator
“Opportunities to publicise and market my first novel were limited. Renaissance One invited me to appear at their events and were committed to helping writers who they felt deserved more of a public standing gain a bigger profile.
Renaissance One helped me launch my fifth title… and hosted a launch that hasn’t been matched in quality and organisation.
I would recommend Renaissance One for any publishing initiative or any event involved with the written or the spoken word.”