For writers, by writers.
The Bournemouth Writing Festival inspires writers to write with practical and hands-on events, workshops, talks, writing activities and networking opportunities.
The three-day festival is a carefully curated selection of self-published, published and writing professionals impart their knowledge and advice to writers of all ages and genres, regardless of where they are on their writing journey.
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But it's not just about a long weekend in April ​in Bournemouth, Dorset, on the sunny south coast of England. There are lots of events, activities, inspiration and groups throughout the year to help you find your writing tribe to support you to improve and progress on your writing journey.
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The festival is run and organised by Dominic Wong.
The Bournemouth Writing Festival comprises of 100 innovative events and activities over three days in venues within Bournemouth Town Centre. Award-winning, best-selling authors, BAFTA-winning screenwriters, journalists, poets, editors, publishers, marketing experts and even a contracts lawyer, all gave talks and workshops to hundreds of writers to help them on their writing journey.
Working with our partners, a range of free and ticketed events and activities are put on to encourage attendees to explore the shops, cafes, beaches and restaurants in and around Bournemouth.
Our festival was inclusive for a wide audience, including adults with additional needs, teenagers, primary schools, home-educated children and those sidelined from society.
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To read the Impact Report from the 2024 Writing Festival, please click here.
Format
Our Festival takes place with several locations within Bournemouth Town Centre, categorised into three sections:
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Formal talks, panels, workshops and masterclasses led by writing professionals. These are led by those that write (authors, poets, journalists, screenwriters) and those that support writers to get their work into the world (editors, publishers, literary agents, book marketing gurus, publicists and even a contracts lawyer!)
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Activities to provide stimulus to write and to connect writers together. These included writing on the beach, networking events, literary walks and a poetry.
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Events to encourage children to write. These include author readings and creative writing workshops, beach walks, free family-friendly activities and a schools and home-educated writing competition for children living in Dorset.
We also organise free workshops for marginalised or underrepresented people in our communities, including Adults with Additional Needs and homeless people.
Festival Director
Dominic Wong
The Bournemouth Writing Festival is led by Dominic Wong - an award-winning entrepreneur and author of two novels.
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Dominic is a globally-recognised marketing professional with a diverse background in promoting tourism destinations and visitor attractions. With a passion for creating innovative tourism experiences, Dominic has successfully marketed various iconic locations worldwide. Notably, he was the first marketing director of the Harry Potter Studio Tour - overseeing the build, launch and Royal inauguration.
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He runs the Bournemouth Writing Festival in his spare time.
Photo credit: Solid Imagery
Advisory Panel
Curating the Festival Programme and advising the Festival Director on strategy and content is our four-person advisory board.
