The Birmingham Literature Festival will be bringing a line-up of over 50 writers to the city’s newest venue alongside its own resident writer. Aspiring author Rachel New is currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing at University of Birmingham and hosts the Heart West Midlands breakfast show alongside Ed James.

No stranger to challenges (she once licked a hundred West Midlands landmarks in a month for a bet!), Rachel has agreed to push herself to the creative limit for the Birmingham Literature Festival. For 10 days, Rachel will be stationed in the new Library of Birmingham, writing. Her interactive challenge is to produce a 30,000 word novella in just ten days. Writing for up to six hours a day, this in itself is enough of a test.

To make it harder, Rachel’s creativity is at the mercy of the public – anyone can get involved with the storyline, adding or naming characters, suggesting plot twists and helping her kill people off or beat writers’ block.