Date: 20th September 2025
Venue: The Fold, Leamington Spa
Tickets
£22 main hall
£32 main hall and workshop
£70 expert 121 and main hall
£90 all-inclusive Festival Day Package
Main Hall Activities
The Main Hall will be the central hub for our festival, hosting a variety of talks, performances, and interviews with local authors and poets as well as book stalls and general networking opportunities.
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We also have workshops and NEW THIS YEAR one-to-one sessions with industry experts. Please check which ticket you want before you buy!
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09:45 - 09:55: Open and welcome
Start your festival day with an official welcome and introduction to #SWLitFest 2025.
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10:00 - 10:30: Talk - Self-publish like a pro
Speaker: Sian Smith (Sian Smith Editorial).
Gain valuable insights into self-publishing from a seasoned professional.
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10:40 - 11:10: Performance - Poetry & competition winners
WYPL Ananditha Venkatramanan, WYPL runners-up Zoe & Thalia, and Competition Winners.
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11:30 - 12:00: Talk/interview - Romantasy/Fantasy
Speakers: Kerry Williams & Ellie Tilley.
Dive into the fascinating worlds of Romantasy and Fantasy.
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12:00 - 13:15: Lunch break (includes 30 minutes Open Mic)
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13:15 - 13:55: Talk - Co-writing
Speakers: Alison May & Janet Gover.
Learn about collaborative writing from authors who have been there, seen that, and done it together.
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14:15 - 14:55: Talk/interview - Horror
Speaker: Gary Phelps.
Award-winning journalist G J Phelps reads from his debut novel “13 Doors” and talks about the horror genre.
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15:20 - 16:00: Talk/interview - Thriller
Speaker: Mark Edwards.
Mark writes psychological thrillers and has sold over 5 million books since his first novel “The Magpies” was published in 2013. He has topped the bestseller lists numerous times.
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16:00 - 16:25: Last chance to buy!
A final opportunity to check out the local author book stalls around the Main Hall.
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16:25 - 17:15: Author Q&A
Panelists: Gabrielle Mullarkey, Mark Edwards, Paul Gitsham, Gary Phelps.
Engage with our featured authors in an insightful Q&A session.
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17:15 - 17:30: Thank yous and goodbyes
One-to-One Expert Sessions
This year, we are introducing something NEW to our Festival: enhance your writing journey with personalised one-to-one sessions with our expert authors and industry professionals.
Need help with a book proposal? Wondering whether your poetry’s ready for publication? Want to pitch to magazines? Confused about taking the next step with your manuscript?
Talk to an industry expert to get personalised advice and guidance on your work and writing journey.
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Each session is 15 minutes long.
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To ensure you get the most out of your session, you will be asked to send details and relevant writing sample to us before the end of August to forward to the expert you’ll be talking to.
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Sessions are available between 10:00 am - 11:55 am and 1:15 pm - 3:15 pm
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Price: £70 per session, which includes full access to all the Main Hall activities.
Available Experts & Focus Areas
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Morning sessions
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Beth Ferguson: Agent query package
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Wanting to submit to an agent or editor and not sure you’re on the right track?
Beth worked with the Kate Nash Literary Agency representing authors across a variety of genres and in this 121, she will offer feedback on your query package (letter, synopsis and first chapter) to help polish your pitch and give your novel the best chance to grab an agent's attention.
Note: Beth’s experience is primarily in YA and Adult fiction genres, not non-fiction or children's literature.
Gwyneth Box: Poetry feedback and strategy focus
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Stuck in a rut with your poetry?
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Wondering whether it’s ready for submission?
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Perhaps you’ve submitted it and had nothing but rejections?
Our competition judge Gwyneth and Festival co-director is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared widely in anthologies and magazines. She has been giving feedback and support to other poets for over 20 years.
Before the session you will be asked to submit a selection of poems (up to six poems, maximum 200 lines total). The poems can be in any style and any length; they do not need to be part of a set, but please say if they are intended as a mini-collection. Gwyneth will give written feedback on technical and stylistic aspects of the submissions. The face-to-face session will be an opportunity to review this, as well as to identify strategies for further developing your writing, discuss any issues you may be having, and look at ways to take your work forward.
Shelley Wilson: Manuscript feedback and strategy focus
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Whether you’re looking for professional feedback or strategic advice, this focused session will provide valuable insights and guidance tailored to your writing journey.
Writing a book can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone! In this 15-minute 121 session, you’ll receive honest and constructive feedback on your writing.
Email a 1,000-word sample of your work in advance and receive constructive manuscript feedback on structure, pacing, character development, theme, and style.
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Afternoon sessions
Paul Gitsham: Pitching your crime novel
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Think your novel’s ready to submit?
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Want to be sure it’s on the right track?
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Need someone objective to give you the low down?
Let crime writer Paul Gitsham, creator of the DCI Warren Jones series, set you on the straight and narrow. The first 2000 words of any book - ie the opening - are key to a successful break in (to an agent or publisher’s list.) Add a one-page synopsis of where you plan the novel to go and Paul will deliver up the loot in a feedback session that’s sure to get you flying straight.
Siân Smith: Non-fiction editorial feedback
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Specialising in personal development, health and wellness, Siân is founder of Sian Smith Editorial, and her top priority is ensuring you don’t fear the editing process.
After reviewing your outline and the first 500 words of your non-fiction book, Siân will provide feedback on the flow and structure of your current draft or idea for your book. Each session will be tailored to your needs, but will focus on honing the central argument of your book, discussing what the developmental arc could look like, and brainstorming ideas for structuring the book. Siân will also use the 500-word sample to provide specific advice on self-edits.
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Workshops
​Morning workshops 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
WS1: Romance
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Instructor: Alison May
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Focus: Romance writing
Love, relationships and falling for someone form part of so many stories - from romcom, to romantasy and into other genres as well. This workshop, from a published romance author and former chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association, will look at classic romance plot beats, creating characters your readers will fall in love with as well and putting deep emotion on the page in your writing.
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Location: Basement
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Capacity: 20 people
WS2: Crafting a Killer Crime novel: an introduction to writing crime fiction
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Instructor: Paul Gitsham
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Focus: Crime Writing
A hands-on workshop, with lots of discussion and opportunities to share written work if desired. The first part focuses on what a crime novel is and what we need in one eg narrative arc, red herrings, a mid-point twist, opening lines and hooks etc. The second part focuses on characterisation and character arcs.
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Location: boardroom
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Capacity: 12 people
Afternoon workshops 1:15 pm - 3:10 pm
WS6: Around the world of poetry
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Instructor: Emilie Lauren Jones
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Focus: Poetry
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Join Emilie for a whistle stop tour through global poetry! In this workshop, we’ll explore poetic forms from three different continents, dive into example poems, and enjoy quiet writing time to craft our own responses to inspiring prompts.
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Location: Boardroom
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Capacity: 12 People
WS7: Finding Your Way Through Emotions
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Instructor: Kay Brophy
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Focus: Children's Fiction Writing
In this workshop run by author and Founder/Director of Lifeland Learning Ltd, Kay Brophy explores nurturing ‘mentally healthy’ children through creativity and stories.
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Children’s mental health statistics and links to wellbeing in later life
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Brief introduction to the psychology of human emotions
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Emotions versus feelings, what’s the difference?
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Emotional learning through playfulness and creativity in early childhood
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Introduction to narrative therapy, storytelling - theories and techniques
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Fun creative writing exercise, your opportunity to be playful!
The workshop is designed especially for children's authors - whether already established or looking to find your place in the competitive children's literature market.
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Location: Glass Room
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Capacity: 6 People
WS8: Get into character!
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Instructor: Gabrielle Mullarkey
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Focus: Fiction
A story thrives on its characters. We want to believe in and care what happens to them. In this workshop with prolific short story writer Gabrielle Mullarkey, you’ll create a compelling character sketch from a provided prompt and even observe yourself as a character in your ongoing life story. Whether it’s a detective with a secret, a ghost who’s afraid of the dark or a reluctant superhero who wants to retire and open a llama sanctuary, the characters we create constantly surprise us and take our stories in exciting new directions. So whether you’re deep into a work in progress or nurturing the seed of an idea, we’ll consider the flaws and dilemmas that make our characters spring to life on the page, getting under their skin and discovering who they truly are. This playful and supportive session will combine writing prompts with discussion and optional sharing of work. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never written a word – come along and have a go!
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Location: Basement
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Capacity: 8 People