The WW Festival of Writing is not a 'literary festival' but a festival run entirely by writers for other writers. They have designed the festival around giving writers everything they need to break into print including the ability to pitch directly to agents and publishers.
The festival will take place from 7th to 9th September at the University of York, with comfortable on-campus accommodation. You can learn more about the festival and book tickets at http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/events.html.
As a member of NWUK you can access a Writing Group Discount of 15% -- just quote GRP on your booking form.
Here’s an overview of their programme:
Friday 7th September
| 13.00 - 14.00 | Registration for those attending Mini Courses |
| 14.00 - 18.00 | Mini courses (optional) • How to Write a Novel, with Harry Bingham • Self-editing your Novel, with Debi Alper • Children's Authors Do It Differently, with Nicola Morgan • Creativity masterclass, with Andrew Wille • Historical Fiction, with Emma Darwin •Be a Professional Self-Publisher and Succeed, with David Gaughran and Talli Rowland |
| 14.00 - 18.00 | Registration and collection of room keys |
| 16.00 - 17.00 | Afternoon tea - dip out, drop-in |
| 18.00 | Bar opens Come along to meet agents, editors and fellow writers. |
| 19.30 | Dinner |
| 20.45 - 21.15 | Literary Night Live Your chance for a panel of experts to hear and evaluate your text. Terrifying, but useful. More details to follow soon. Last year's winner ended up with an agent! The one before got an agent, got published - and is one of the guest speakers this year. |
Saturday 8th September
| 08.00 | Breakfast |
| 08.30 | Registration for Saturday arrivals |
| 9.10 - 10.10 | Festival Welcome & Keynote Address - JoJo Moyes Author of 9 novels, JoJo has been a full time novelist since 2002, when her first book Sheltering Rain was published. Her last novel, the critically acclaimed The Last Letter From your Lover, won the 2011 RNA Novel of the Year award and has been translated into eleven different languages. She also writes regularly for The Daily Telegraph. |
| 10.10 - 10.40 | Coffee break & JoJo Moyes booksigning |
| 10.40 - 11.40 | Workshops - Session 1 See workshops for more info. When you book your Festival ticket, you will be asked to select your workshop choice. |
| 11.50 - 12.50 | Genre Panel/ Q&As Your chance to learn from the experts and ask the questions you want answered. Choice of (no prebooking required):
In nearly all cases, panels will include both authors and agents/publishers. |
| 12.40 | Buffet Lunch |
| 14.00 - 15.00 | Key note address: The Agent & The Publisher Bill Massey, Deputy Publishing Director, Orion Books Gillian Green, Editorial Director (Fiction), Ebury/Random House Alan Mahar, Publishing Director, Tindal Street Press Jim Gill & Simon Trewin, United Agents |
| 15.10 - 16.10 | Workshops - Session 2 See workshops for more info. |
| 16.10 - 16.40 | Afternoon Tea - plus author book signings |
| 16.40 - 17.40 | Workshops - Session 3 See workshops for more info. |
| 18.45 - 19.15 | Gala Dinner Reception ~ Drinks ~ Come along to meet agents, editors and fellow writers. |
| 19.15 | Gala Dinner & Competition Presentations After-dinner speech: |
Sunday 9th September
| 08.00 | Breakfast |
| 09.00 | Registration for Sunday arrivals |
| 09.20 - 10.00 | TBC |
| 10.10 - 11.10 | Workshops - Session 4 See workshops for more info. |
| 11.10 - 11.40 | Coffee break & author booksignings |
| 11.40 - 12.40 | Workshops - Session 5 See workshops for more info. |
| 12.40 | Buffet Lunch |
| 14.00 - 15.00 | Workshops - Session 6 See workshops for more info. |
| 15.10 - 15.50 | Keynote Address with Stuart MacBride Stuart MacBride is the bestselling crime fiction author of The Logan McRae series, including Shatter the Bones, which reached No. 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller list. The McRae novels have won him the CWA's Dagger in the Library, the Barry Award for Best Debut Novel, and Best Breakthrough Author at the ITV3 crime thriller awards. Stuart's other works include Halfhead, a near-future thriller, Sawbones, a novella aimed at adult emergent readers, and several short stories. |
| 15.50 - 16.00 | Wrap-up & farewells |
