Calling creatives, writers, scholars, and all who are simply curious about new ideas, creative writing, and global debate. Travel the world without leaving your home and join a dynamic summit of writers, artists, and scholars at Follow the Sun, an online literature and writing conference hosted by Transnational Literature, Paper Nations, and TRACE on January 28th-30th.

Follow the Sun is a literary festival-meets-conference that brings together writers, artists, and scholars of all disciplines and specialisms to explore transnational literature, writing, and performance. As the sun travels across the sky, you will hear stories from award-winning poets, literary translators, and novelists, with the option to participate in a masterclass on 30th January (more info below). Scholars from around the world will share their latest research on detention, displacement, and disappearance.

Discounted tickets are available through our early bird scheme until the 22nd January only! Full price tickets will be available after that date. Head to Eventbrite now to avoid missing out. Tickets are available on a sliding scale, depending on your income, location, and the range of events you wish to attend.

The key theme is ‘Place and Displacement’, inspired by keynote speaker Aminatta Forna, who said in 2020 that ‘we have seen place displaced’ as a reflection on our current state of being, both bound at home and displaced from our normal modes of interaction. As such, this event has no fixed abode, as it will take place entirely online (via Zoom) and ‘follow the sun’ as morning travels around the world, beginning in Adelaide, Australia, and moving across the sky to Mumbai, London, and New York. Whether you choose to participate as the summit crosses your time zone or watch asynchronously, you will join a worldwide community on a creative journey – and anything you have missed live will be available to watch at your leisure via a private link after the event.

Event Highlight:
Masterclass: Performance Poetry in the Online World
9am-2pm Saturday 30th January
Led by renowned writer, Zena Edwards, the masterclass is a unique opportunity to meet others, be inspired, and hone your public speaking and performance skills. Limited tickets are available and are selling quickly.

A full programme will be released shortly.