Words on a Page

If you've attended the Winchester Writers' Conference in the past, you'll know what a fabulous opportunity it presented to make face-to-face connections with agents, publishers and other writers, as well as opportunities to learn more about the craft of writing and how to get your work noticed. While the conference has now been taken over by the good folks at I Am in Print , and has been redubbed the I Am Writing Festival , it offers people the same chance to build their knowledge of the industry and make those valuable connections. I'm excited to be taking part in the inaugural year of the new Festival, working alongside novelist and short story writer Helen Salsbury as we lead a workshop on writing literary fiction. Space is limited, so we encourage people to sign up asap. And do check out all of the other workshops, discussions and events as well. To check out the full programme, click HERE . To book tickets for our workshop on writing Literary Fiction, click HERE ....

In the second of my interviews with authors from this year’s Fairlight Moderns list of literary novellas, I speak to JT Torres . JT is an American author and academic, originally from Florida, who now teaches English at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. His novella, Taking Flight , will be published by Fairlight Books on 8 th July. ~ Loree: You’ve got a very impressive CV, with a surprisingly long list of academic publications for one who is still so young! It’s clear you’ve been extremely busy over the past few years. Completing a PhD nearly killed me, but you seem to be thriving in the academic world. As well as your novella Taking Flight , you have four peer reviewed papers coming out this summer. My first question, then, has to be: how do you do it? How do you balance such a full academic life with your creative life? Do your academic research and your teaching responsibilities impinge upon your ability to write fiction, or do they help in some way? JT:   The PhD n...

  I am thrilled to announce that my novella, Missing Words , will be published by Fairlight Books in August, becoming one of four new titles in the Fairlight Moderns series of contemporary literary fiction. Set on the south coast of the UK during the tumultuous summer of 1984, against a backdrop striking miners and threats of nationwide industrial action,  Missing Words  is a heart-warming story about self-discovery and the power of family ties. Read more HERE . What they say: ‘Time, place and characters are all beautifully depicted here – this novella will stay with the reader long after they finish the final page.’ –  Gabrielle Kimm ,  author of  His Last Duchess ,  The Courtesan's Lover   and The Girl with the Painted Face . ‘Like cycling the hills of the Isle of Wight, this book draws you in to its undulating rhythm while propelling you on to see what lies over the next brow.’ –  Josie Dew , cyclist and author of  The Wind in ...