Calling Frome Writers!

There’s a special day for writers during  Frome Festival.

Come to the library on Sunday 12th July for a day of workshops on literary genres from poetry to crime fiction, culminating in the announcement of the results of the Frome Festival Short Story Competition and the award of prizes by guest judge, novelist Samantha Harvey at 2.30 pm.

The competition, which closed at the end of May, attracted a great response this year, with entries arriving from all over the UK and far beyond. Look out for the titles of long-listed entries on the competition website shortly.

Earlier in the day, participants can join Rosie Jackson for ‘The Poetry of Art’, a practical workshop on using art as an inspiration for poetry. Mary Macarthur and Brenda Bannister will be helping writers to improve the presentation of their work in ‘Give your Book a Chance’, while ebook writer Nikki Copleston  will discuss the challenges and rewards of writing detective fiction.

Local children’s author and literacy promoter Joffre White will talk about his work in schools and how knowing his audience informs his writing, and Alison Clink, creative writing teacher, short story writer and author of a recently published memoir, will lead a session on ‘Writing Comedy’.

Tickets for all these workshops, which have been organised by members of Frome Writers’ Collective, can be bought through the Festival booking office at the Cheese and Grain. Places are limited, so advance booking is advisable.

The Short Story Competition prize-giving is a free event and all are welcome. Organisers particularly hope that everyone attending the workshops will stay to support the participants, to hear Samantha Harvey’s verdict on the shortlist and listen to readings from the successful entries. The winner of the previous weekend’s ‘Writers in Residence’ competition – in which local writers scribble away for three hours in town centre shops – will also be announced at this time.