The 'Magic of Swanwick'

 The Writers’ Summer School is held at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick

 August 10th - 16th, 2013

 

 WORK IN PROGRESS.  MORE INFO AND PICS TO COME

 

 

  

Writers, published and unpublished, have been going to The Writers’ Summer School, at Swanwick, for 65 years. It is thought to be the oldest residential writers’ school in the world. 

 

The 'magic of Swanwick' is legendary.  Every August, over 200 writers across all genres gather together to renew old friendships and forge new ones.

 

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On Saturday August 10th, at 3.30 in the afternoon, I arrived at Swanwick.  After parking my car I went to The Alan Booth Centre to meet my good friends, and fellow writers, Jayne Curtis and Vikki Thompson.  As stewards they arranged a room for me (I'd slipped through the net because I had only booked for three days.)  Before going to my room I went up to the main house, met lovely Lois Maddox who's in charge of the book room, and made a display of thirteen copies of Foxden Acres. I also put a framed poster of FA on the mantle-shelf in the information room along with a dozen postcards and book marks. 

 

Saturday night speaker.  TV and film script writer
James Moran

  



 

                                          

 

Fabulous Guest Speaker on Sunday 
Author Syd Moore  

Syd Moore is the author of The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt.  She takes facts and turns them into hauntingly frightening novels.  Her course, Fashioning Fiction From Fact, was amazing.  Syd split us into groups of six.  Then she gave each group four non-connected facts, which we had to write into a story.  We all contributed with the storyline, which was incredible, and Lorraine wrote it down.  After lunch two people from each group read the stories. I read out the facts and Lorraine read the story.  Then we moved to different groups.  We each wrote a description of one of the characters - and had to do a fast Q & A session.  It was brilliant.  I described the priest, who will appear in the third novel of my quartet about the Dudley sisters, China Blue.

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My first Short Course was, Business Skills for writers, with Kate McCormick. Part one of the course covered tools and techniques that can be used by writers to sharpen business skills, take the pain out of paperwork and free up more time for writing.  The second part took a look at finance systems from simple to complex and how to choose the most appropriate.  Excellent for newly published authors.  It taught me new things and reminded what I need to do before the Tax Man sees my accounts.



Left to right: Me, Kate McCormick, Jayne Curtis and Lorraine Hall

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My Specialist Course was Literary Novels with Alexa Radcliffe-Hart. I didn't really want to go but it was the only course for novelists.  I don't always enjoyed reading literary fiction.  I sometimes find it snooty.  As if the writer thinks he, or she, is a cut above the rest of us.  I've occasionally been in awe, as literary writers are considered to be wordsmiths in a high-brow sense, but I've often found it self indulgent.  However, am I glad I went!  The exercises were fantastic. I loved writing in the literary style, and what I wrote wasn't bad - according to others.  But the best is, I can use what I wrote in Applause, the second story of the Dudley sisters, which I am currently writing.

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Monday night's After Dinner Speaker was, retired Chief Constable and writer

Michael O'Byrne 

 

 

The Vinery
The perfect room to relax and write 

 

 

Vikki Thompson took this photograph.
All the sweets and puddings were this rich - and fattening.

My bedroom was very spacious. But the twin beds were quite narrow.
I'm used to a double and twice I turned over and almost fell out

The lake in the grounds at Swanwick. 
Lovely first thing in the morning - lovely anytime.

 

FRIENDSHIPS MADE AND RENEWED

Fabulous writer friends, Jayne Curtis, Lorraine Hall and Vikki Thompson
Missing them already

 

 

             Katie and Jayne                                                                                   Maddie and Lorraine

   

 



Fun in the Swanwick Bar  

 

Later at Buskers Night

 

 

 The Poetry Open Mic Night was fantastic too. 

I am only sorry I wasn't able to take any photographs.

  

 

Collecting unsold copies of Foxden Acres and receiving a cheque for sales from Lois Maddox (Right) in the book room

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Swanwick until August 2014

 

 

Virtual launch party for Foxden Acres, Saturday February 16, 9am until 9pm

I am excited to tell you that my first novel, Foxden Acres, is now available through Amazon Kindle and lulu books. 

The virtual launch party on Saturday February 16th began at 9am and ended at 10pm.  The raffle was a success, and we drank champagne virtually and really, when friends called.  On the day Foxden Acres went live my fabulously friends were so supportive.  Dozens of them dropped in to say hello.  Super books were donated as prizes by Elizabeth Ducie and Sharon Cook, Peter Jones, Jane Wenham-Jones, Rebecca Emin and Debbie Viggiano.  And I gave two copies of Foxden Acres, as well as half a dozen other writerly type prizes.     

For see what fun we had at the launch party, log onto - Foxden Acres Launch Party 
To go straight through to the novel click on - Foxden Acres on Amazon Kindle

 

I have been invited to give a talk to the local WI on February 14th and I am determined to have a book in my hand on that night.  I also hope to be dressed as a land girl, in khaki dungarees, green pullover and boots.  Don't laugh.  I know land girls were young, but I'm going to do it anyway, because it'll be fun.

 

Foxden Acres has been uploaded to Kindle and lulu books, by the wonderful Rebecca Emin today, Feb 8th. No books - Kindle or paperback - yet. The author's copy has been ordered so, after I've given it a final proofread, Foxden Acres will go live. We're still on track for next Saturday. I can't believe it? After all these years, Foxden Acres will soon be in the public domain. I'm so happy. My face is aching from smiling.

 

More to come nearer the time. x

 

Foxden Acres is Bess Dudley’s story.  It’s about strength and love.  Set in London and on the land in the Midlands, it’s the first of four books about the lives of four very different sisters during the Second World War.  The second book, Applause (WIP) is set in the theatre world of London’s West End, during the Blitz.  The third and fourth books, China Blue and The Bletchey Secret, have been plotted but not yet written.  Family and war connect the books.  However, each novel will stand alone, and can be read in any order.