Novel ideas in Billericay

Good night last Friday at the Speed Dating for Writers session at Billericay Library. Twenty writers and publishers gathered to dispense advice to anyone who wanted to write a book. Clearly a lot of people in Billericay have a book in them and we had locals with ghost stories set on Scottish islands, romances, memoirs, self-help tomes, children's books, science fiction ideas and novels sitting in bedroom drawers. This writer was offering tips (don't do it for the money but do have an elevator pitch) alongside Syd Moore from Leigh, whose ghost stories Witch Hunt (set in Manningtree) and The Drowning Pool (set in Leigh-on-Sea) are well worth a look and ex-Melody Maker man and music book writer Brain Southall. Thanks to Belinda and Jules for keeping the evening going with white wine and crisps and good luck to all the aspiring writers in Essex.

Speed Dating For Writers at Colchester Library

As part of the Essex Book Festival I'll be appearing at the Speed Dating For Writers event at Colchester Library tomorrow, March 14, from 7pm to 9.15pm. It will be run like a speed dating event. Audience members will have four minutes to get as much info as possible from various authors and publishers about their side of the book trade. After four minutes, the compere rings a bell and the audience move on to their next hot literary date…

Come and have a go at Colchester Central Library, 21 Trinity Square, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1JB

See location on Google maps.