Yesterday I attended the Festival of Writing in York for the second year in a row. Last year I went for two days, I had a fabulous time and left with a head bursting with so many thoughts and ideas I could barely walk in a straight line. This year I decided one day would be enough and just went along for the Sunday. Once again it was amazing and I kind of wished I could have stayed for longer!
What was so great about it? Well…
- It’s a festival all about the craft of writing and publishing. The days are packed with lectures and seminars on a wide range of subjects in these areas. Many of these are interactive too, with opportunities to practice your own writing. The sessions are lead by industry professionals (agents, authors, publishers etc.) and there are always opportunities to ask questions so you get a real insight into the world of publishing. Even just going for one day, I learned masses.
- Lots of literary agents and publishers attend the festival alongside writers at various stages in their careers. You all get to mingle during coffee breaks and mealtimes, and, if you stay for the evening, in the bar as well. Everyone’s really friendly so it’s a great opportunity to make connections, whether you’re a networking pro and schmooze with all the publishers or simply find some likeminded fellow writers to hang out with. (In case you’re wondering, I fall into the second category).
- It takes place at the University of York campus which is set in buildings and walkways around (and across) a lake. There’s a fountain, willow trees and gliding ducks so it’s all rather lovely. Within the buildings, of course, there are lots of people and a huge buzz, but step outside the doors and peace descends. This strikes me as the perfect setting for a writing conference – activity and stimulation within arm’s reach of peace and tranquility.
- Everywhere you go at the festival, people are talking about writing and ideas and stories and literature. You sit down next to strangers and find yourself talking books in seconds… where else can you go where the standard conversation opener is “What genre do you write?”. Being around these sorts of people, and part of these types of conversations made me, just, happy.
- Having said that, making conversation constantly isn’t a requirement. I’ve been to business conferences where networking is absolutely the name of the game and you feel like you have to be on point all the time and ‘working the room’. Exhausting. This lovely festival isn’t like that at all. I mean obviously you want to get the most out of it and chat to different people but I didn’t feel pressured to. Everywhere you go there are people sitting on their own quietly reading or writing… or putting pictures of the lake on instagram (I *may* have been one of those). It’s as introvert-friendly a conference as you can get.
- You hear the inspirational stories of successful authors. I absolutely loved the keynote speech by Joanna Cannon at the end of this year’s festival. Jo wrote her debut novel, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, hunched over the steering wheel in the car park outside the hospital where she worked as a psychiatrist. She attended the Festival of Writing two years ago because some Twitter friends recommended it, read out an extract of her novel as part of Friday Night Live (where writers read to an audience on the festival’s opening night) and won. Within forty-eight hours she’d had offers of representation from seven agents. Her novel was published by Harper Collins in January this year and for its launch party, to reflect the colour of the book’s cover, the entire Harper Collins Building was lit up blue! From car park scribblings to lighting up the London skyline in a matter of months – I mean, wow. Her personal story proves that it’s worth taking risks in life, to dare to be your true self (a goat not a sheep) and that the familiar internal narrative “things like that don’t happen to people like me.” simply isn’t true. Needless to say, I’ve bought her book.
- A final major bonus of the festival (at least the final one I’ll mention in this post) is that, with the price of the ticket come two one-on-one’s with agents, publishers or book doctors. You pick suitable people in advance (there are plenty to chose from), submit an extract of your manuscript (or in my case, two entire picture book manuscripts) to them in advance and then, on the day get to chat with them about your work. It’s an opportunity for really useful, genuine feedback, and to connect with industry professionals in a way you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to. Agents receive scores of manuscripts to consider every day so to move to the front of the queue in this way is invaluable.
Personally, I came away with some new writing contacts (having met some lovely fellow writers) a stash of useful industry insights (the rise of independent presses over the last few years is really impressive!) and a notebook full of writing tips and ideas. I also got a huge confidence boost from my one-on-one’s which were with agents and both really positive. They liked my manuscripts, said I could write well and advised me to keep at it and just submit, submit submit. One agent said “keep writing and keep sending me your work.” which I was hugely chuffed by and will certainly follow through on.
As you can probably tell, I thoroughly recommend the Festival of Writing and I certainly hope to attend it again in the future – maybe I’ll see you there?
It sounds really good and I would have loved to go, but I decided against in favour of putting the money towards my publishing costs. Glad you enjoyed it. Funny that last year was too much and this year not enough. Think you got it the wrong way round!
Nicola Young recently posted…Writing a middle grade manuscript
I know – I think having been last year made it so much easier this time round. I’d almost consider going for the whole weekend sometime (Friday – sunday) especially if I knew some other people who were going. I knew literally no one this year, not even blogging connections so I had to be in v social mode! Hope your publishing plans are on track. xxx
Maddy recently posted…thoughts on The Festival of Writing – #FOW16
Sounds utterly marvellous, I want to go next year! Do they have a Facebook page or owt?
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Yes – go next year! It’s run by The Writers Workshop who have a FB page: https://www.facebook.com/workshopwriters/ xx
Maddy recently posted…thoughts on The Festival of Writing – #FOW16
Sounds like a wonderful weekend & I’d love to go next year, as long as it’s not too expensive
That’s the only downside – the expense! I think it’s worth it though and there is now a bursary available too: http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/FestivalofWriting-TheGoatBursaryAward.html xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
Wow, it certainly sounds amazing, and what an awe inspiring story about the debut novelist. Unfortunately with my husband away, it was impossible for me to get to this year. I’ll definitely be considering it for next year though. Great news about the compliments, and that an agent has told you to keep sending your work to him, that’s awesome Maddy xxx
Renee Davis recently posted…Competition Time: Win a Bundle of Munchkin Goodies
Thanks Reneé, yes the meeting with the agent was such a confidence boost and Jo cannon’s story is so inspiring. Reading her book right now! xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
I can’t believe this has come round again so quickly… I remember thinking it sounded fab last year, and this year’s experience sounds truly inspiring! I’m going to have to try and factor it in for 2017 i think… xx
Sophie Lovett recently posted…Close to home
I know, the year has flown by! Would love to attend next year with friends – I’d be tempted to do the whole weekend. Depends where I am with my writing though! xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
Wow – it sounds super inspiring. One to go to one day! #WhatImWriting
Rhian Harris recently posted…Telltale signs you’re about to travel with a toddler
It really was inspirational! Thanks for commenting, Rhian. xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
I’ve considered going to The Festival of Writing several times and never had the spare cash. Now that I’ve self-pubbed I feel it might not be as useful as I’m not looking for an agent/publisher but I could be wrong about that. It might just be inspiring.
Maybe next year.
#WhatImWriting
suz recently posted…Library under threat. Please help stop the closure.
I think the chance to pick the brains on people at all stages of the writing and publishing process is really useful and there are seminars aimed at self-publishers. There’s something of value there for most writers I reckon and, in the sometimes lonely world of writing, that feeling of being surrounded by other people who just ‘get it’ is invaluable. Thanks for commenting Suz. xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
Will have to save up for next year and see you there

suz recently posted…Library under threat. Please help stop the closure.
That sounds amazing! Next year, maybe, if I can manage to get a manuscript in place by then.
Kamsin recently posted…What inspiration does a graveyard hold?
Would be fab to meet you! (not that I’m definitely going but you never know). xx
Maddy recently posted…What I’m Writing – week eighty-eight
This sounds fabulous, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it again. And, well done on your meetings with the agents, awesome feedback, go you!!
Sara | mumturnedmom recently posted…Me and Mine: Summer 2016
Thanks for sharing – its definitely somewhere I’d like to go sometime. You had me at ‘ introvert-friendly’ – conferences are great but they are so exhausting. Glad to hear working the room isn’t always compulsory! #whatimwriting
jude recently posted…Peacekeeper
This festival sounds super exciting. When you first mentioned it I was interested but decided that if I was going to go I’d wait until I had more work to show at the one-to-one sessions. So maybe next year? I’m so glad that you had positive feedback from your session, go you! Xxx
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