This autumn England's only Unesco City of Literature, Norwich, welcomes a host of new events and exhibitions to keep the most ardent lovers of arts and culture in rapture.

Those into one of the fastest growing genres in literature will kill for tickets to Noirwich Crime Writing Festivalwhilst the University of East Anglia (UEA) AutumnLiterary Festivalhas an international flavour welcoming Jonathan Franzen and Vendela Vida visiting from America and Amit Chaudhuri from India.

Those who prefer canvas to crime will love Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Build Your Ownat Norwich Castleand Paint Out Norwich which returns for its second year as the UK's premier juried en plein air art competition with over 50 artists taking part over two days.     

Hot on the heels of Bacon and the Masters at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts comes an exhibition from the Barbican, Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector (12 September – 24 January 2016). If you missed it in London this is the only opportunity now to see it in the UK this year. Featuring the personal collections of post-war and contemporary artists, Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Damien Hurst and many others, the exhibition reveals the hidden world of the artist's collection.

Noirwich (17 – 20 September) is a crime writing festival in its second year, a collaboration between University of East Anglia, Writers' Centre Norwich and Dead Good Books. This year as the festival expands, enjoy four days of author events, film screenings and writing master classes at exceptionally good prices, a Full Festival Ticket is just £45. Lee Child kicks off the festival in fine style, Andy McNab discusses 'How to be a Good Psychopath' and Ann Cleeves talks about her creation of ITV's Vera Stanhope. Workshops to book include; 'Starting to Write Crime Fiction', 'Creating Credible Characters' and 'Last Orders: How to Create a Murder'.

UEA Autumn Literary Festival kicks off with local literary hero Emma Healey (with Vendela Vida) on Wednesday 23 September. Winner of the Costa first novel award Emma rose to fame in 2014 with her debut novel Elizabeth is Missing. Other authors featuring this year include; David Hare, Vince Cable, David Mitchell and Richard Dawkins.

Head across the city to Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery for a dynamic, interactive new exhibition; Build Your Own: Tools for Sharing (3 October – 3 January 2016). As well as viewing the exhibition, visitors will be encouraged to get involved by joining workshops such as Rachel Ryns and Rasperry Pi Foundation's Neurotic Machine.  During Rachel's workshop, participants will build their own mini gardening robot which will work in an interactive garden where robots monitor and control light levels, temperature, humidity and soil moisture. Collectively, different artists will explore creative traditions and the way we share skills.

'Paint Out' Norwich offers national and international artists an abundance of subject matter where artists in residence and voyeurs both come out winners (20 – 22 October). Artists get to paint a wealth of architectural styles, historic landscapes and backdrops whilst visitors are rewarded with live painting events, demonstrations and workshops culminating in the En Plein Air exhibition in Norwich Cathedral Hostry between 24 – 30 November. The exhibition then moves to the Maddermarket Theatre for another month (31 October – 28 November).

New this year, Paint Out Norwich introduces a two-night Nocturne event (20 – 21 October) where 10 artists will interpret onto canvas the cityscape by night plus an inspiring three hour 'Quick Draw' event on the third day on Mousehold Heath -  an area of wildlife and natural beauty presenting panoramic views  of Norwich.

For full event details please go to www.visitnorwich.co.uk.

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Images
Image – Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts credit photo - Pete Huggins.

Press information

For more information please contact Melanie Cook at VisitNorwich on 01603 727939 or melanie.cook@visitnorwich.co.uk

Events

Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector (12 Sep – 24 Jan)
Sainsbury entre for Visual Arts
http://scva.ac.uk/art-and-artists/exhibitions/magnificent-obsessions-the-artist-as-collector

Noirwich (17 Sep – 20 Sep)
Dragon Hall and across Norwich
http://noirwich.co.uk/

UEA Autumn Literary Festival (23 Sep – 18 Nov)
UEA Campus, Norwich
https://www.uea.ac.uk/litfest

Build Your Own: Tools for Sharing (3 Oct – 3 Jan 2016)
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/Visit_Us/Norwich_Castle/Current_and_Upcoming_Exhibitions/Build_Your_Own/index.htm

Paint Out' Norwich as part of the Hostry Festival (20 Oct – 28 Nov)
http://www.paintoutnorwich.org/

About VisitNorwich

• VisitNorwich is the destination management organisation for the Norwich area. It is a private/public sector partnership and a not for profit organisation whose sole focus is to promote and develop the destination and support its membersthrough collaborative marketing, research, information and business advice.
• For the benefit of the area as a whole, VisitNorwich strives to achieve: better profile and reputation locally, nationally and internationally; increased visitor spend; more investment; more jobs and better quality experiences for both visitors and residents.
• Tourism is worth around £700 million per year to the Norwich area, supports over 9,000 jobs (Tourism South East, 2010).
• In 2014 Norwich was named as one of Britain's Top 10 cities in The Telegraph Travel Awards.
• In 2014 The Norwich Lanes was crowned Great British High Street of the Year in the city category. 
• The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts was one of the six finalists for the prestigious Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2014.
• The Millennium Library, based at The Forum in Norwich was named in 2014 (for the eighth year in a row) the busiest library in the UK. Figures collected by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA).
• Annually the Writers' Centre Norwich and the University of East Anglia hold Literary Festivals which attract acclaimed authors from all over the world. The University of East Anglia's (UEA) first literary festival took place in 1991 and over the last 22 years has welcomed a host of award-winning authors, journalists, illustrators, scientists, economists, broadcasters and more.
• In 2012 Norwich became England's first UNESCO City of Literature and the sixth in the world joining other great cities; Edinburgh, Dublin, Melbourne, Iowa City and Reykjavik. This accolade is a permanent status.
• Norwich was a finalist in the Group Leisure Awards 2012, in the Best UK City category.
• Norwich was placed 6th in volume of tourism day visits in England in 2011 (after London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool) and ahead of popular destinations like York, Brighton, Bristol, Sheffield and Chester.  17 million day visitors spent over £1/2 billion in 2011. Data from the 2011 Great Britain Day Visits Survey (GBDVS 2011).
• Norwich was in the top 10 of UK places to shop (Venuescore 2011-12, The Javelin Group), having also been previously ranked 9th in the Experian Goad retail index and 8th on the CACI index.  The outstanding quality and diversity of the city's retail offer presents a major draw for visitors to the Norwich area.
• VisitNorwich Ltd is a company limited by guarantee, a private/public sector partnership and a membership organisation representing the interests of a broad range of businesses across the visitor economy.  Its principal public sector stakeholders are Norwich City Council and South Norfolk Council.
• VisitNorwich has been operational from 1st April 2005

For further information on Norwich and its surrounding area visit www.visitnorwich.co.uk, www.cityofstories.co.uk