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Writer's pictureDominic Wong

What happened at the 2023 Bournemouth Writing Festival

Updated: Sep 10, 2023

Over 70 events and activities by writing experts happened over the inaugural writing festival. Nearly 2,000 tickets were sold over the three-day event, with 26% of attendees visiting from outside of Dorset.


Venues included St Peter's Church, Palace Court Theatre, The Avenue and THIS Workspace.


List of talks, workshops and activities:


Friday

  • Creative Writing for Adults with Additional Needs with Kevin Bales from Tricuro Care x2

  • Writing Thrillers on the South Coast with Heidi Perks and Anna Farthing

  • The Rise of the AI Robot with Bournemouth University's Maxine Gee and Matt Desmier

  • Behind the scenes of a writing competition with Bournemouth University's Tom Masters

  • Social and networking event with live music at StreetGoose with music from Ian Payne and John Muir.

Saturday

  • Wild Walking Walk for Wellbeing with Alice Flynn (supported by ArtfulScribe)

  • Business books genre breakfast with Sophie Ray-Jones

  • Creative non-fiction genre breakfast with Valerie French

  • Memoirs and autobiography genre breakfast with Adele Cleaver

  • Flash fiction/short stories genre breakfast with Diane Sofer

  • Writing for children genre breakfast with Vicki Tongeman

  • Women's fiction genre breakfast with Claire Beesley

  • Book club fiction genre breakfast with Sophie Beal

  • Setting - the Hidden Character with Alex Stone

  • Feisty women in historical fiction with Paula Harmon

  • Judging a book by its cover with Briony Hartley

  • So, you want to be a teen writer? workshop with Chasing Driftwood

  • Dark Arts of publishing contracts with Luke English

  • Finding your voice panel with Si Mack and Aanka Batta

  • Do you have the write time? with Rachel Woodward Carrick

  • Writing for children with Jeannie Duncanson and Diane Hull

  • Bringing characters to life with Alice Flynn and Emma Scattergood (with support from ArtfulScribe)

  • The View from a Publisher with Sophie Beal

  • Fundamentals of Short Stories with Paul Draper

  • The Unassuming Memoirist with Sue Cheung

  • Making a living from self-publishing with Matt Shaw

  • Editing and publishing panel with Gary Dalkin, Sophie Beal and Steve Cox

  • Creating credible characters with Aoife Mannix

  • Windows into Worlds with Alice Flynn and Emma Scattergood (with support from ArtfulScribe)

  • Hook them with a killer first line with Emma Page

  • Choosing your Teen Audience panel with Tracy Darnton, Gerald Killingworth

  • Creating your author brand story with Isabelle Knight

  • Writing Dialogue with BAFTA-winning screenwriter John Foster

  • Drawing out your story with Dr Curie Scott

  • A Practical Guide to Getting Media Exposure with Darren Slade

  • Planning a successful book launch with Liz Gordon

  • Open Mic hosted by Doppelganger Dialogues

Sunday

  • Writer's Yoga on the beach with Sarah Scudamore

  • Playwriting genre breakfast with John Foster

  • Non-fiction genre breakfast with Richard Evans

  • Poetry genre breakfast with Anne Peterson

  • Ghostwriting genre breakfast with Adele Jordan

  • Historical fiction with Dale Hurst

  • Young Adults with Andreina Cordani

  • Literary walk of Bournemouth x2 with Hattie Miles

  • Why public speaking is a gateway to more sales with Alice May

  • Planning your Plot with Claire Beesley

  • Wild Stories, YOUR way - 3-5 years with Kate Claxton

  • Writing on the Beach with Chris Aziz

  • How to earn a living from screenwriting with Danny Stack and Tim Clague

  • Interwingling writing and research with Sue Thomas

  • Writing and publishing Non-Fiction with Richard Evans

  • Wild Stories, YOUR way - 6-8 years with Kate Claxton

  • Get set for writing success with Ildiko SpinFisher

  • Landing an agent Q&A with Helen Corner-Bryant and Katherine Baldwin

  • The Value of Legacy, not Money with Roy Moëd

  • The Ghost behind the writer's name with Adele Jordan

  • Getting your work published with Richard Nicholson and Dan Hancock

  • Badger's new Home - 6-11 years with Lorna Child

  • Screenwriting panel with Danny Stack, Tim Clague, Tim Johns and Jake Riddell - hosted by Emma Page

  • Writing your first full-length book with Valerie French

  • My nightmare winning the Richard and Judy prize with Chris Aziz

  • 7 Proven Ways to Market Your Book with Linda Liebrand

  • Getting your book in the media with Katherine Baldwin

  • Table Read LIVE! with Elkie Hester, John Foster and Wayne Ferguson

  • We're Going on a Bear Hunt & My Sister is a Dog children's charity event with Ali Sparkes

  • The Planet is F*cked. So What? with Timo Peach

Over the three days or before the festival.

  1. Sculpture trail by Annie Herridge

  2. Comic Writing Workshop with Creative Kids, Boscombe

  3. Schools competition with AFC Bournemouth's Community Trust and Sandford Primary School

  4. Poetry hunt curated by Myriam San Marco

  5. Overcoming ethical dilemmas for writers with Dithering Chaps

Visit the photo gallery for images.

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