Get your diary out for an autumn book festival bonanza
& is summer a good time to submit queries to agents - or not?
My dear wordsmiths,
I’m very happy to back to this newsletter and my favourite escape route - books and writing - after a heavy newsroom week involving non-stop riot talk, cancellation of days off, much podcast faffing, more meetings than any human should ever have to attend and even a meeting (tomorrow) with a Government minister. Needless to say the week was a massive gym and fiction writing/querying fail so I’m using our weekly chat to get my head back in the game to (hopefully) head into a relatively* empty weekend (*a radio show, a baptism invite, a lie in) with a positive writing mindset. Might also go to the gym! (or not).
Just a reminder to please subscribe - it makes this writer very happy..
In less important updates, the garden moles are playing a mind game with my husband as every day he gets up and looks out of the window with a dramatic sigh as more mini-Everest molehills inevitably show themselves. Every evening he goes out with a spade to dig out and flatten the mounds - luckily the Mr Mole and his mates are good at hiding or they would get boshed on the head (all mole reduction tips welcome).
In books news, I’m back on it. Three queries in the next week is my goal - so let’s hope that some fabulous agent out there is in the mood for a dual timeline ‘almost a true story’ novel based on a woman’s transformative journey to discover secrets in her grandmother’s wartime past while she was a schoolgirl evacuated to the fabulous Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. You can check in on me query wise as I need the accountability. (and if you know think this hits any particular agent’s profile - let me know.)
But is summer even a good time to contact agents? I’d love to hear what you think. I’ve had a proper look at this and although many see summer as a good time to close their doors - others see it as an opportunity to actually read some queries. There are no magic beans for this and my many agented friends tell me to do my homework - but also realise a lot of this is down to luck. I once won a month of chocolate in a competition so I remain hopeful.. all is not lost.
Also question - has anyone successfully used QueryTracker?
Been away? You may have missed..
5 x literary festivals coming soon (get the diary out).
The 2024 Chiltern Kills crime and thriller writing festival: The 2024 festival is on Saturday 5th October in Gerrards Cross, only 20 mins from London Marylebone, with all ticket sales via www.ChilternKills.com in aid of the Centrepoint charity combatting youth homelessness. Stars and authors include Jeffrey Archer, Ian Rankin, Peter James, Louise Minchin, Harriet Tyce, Dempsey and Makepeace, the Secret Barrister, Abir Mukherjee and many more.
The Braemar Literary Festival: Taking place from Friday 20th September to Sunday 22nd September, the festival will feature leading cultural figures, including renowned author and actor Alan Cumming, food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles, best-selling author Ken Follett CBE, novelist, broadcaster and WPF founder, Kate Mosse, award-winning writer and song lyricist Simon Armitage, journalist, best-selling author and political insider, Jon Sopel and more.
Cliveden Literary Festival: Cliveden Literary Festival will take place from 21st – 22nd September. Hosted at the iconic Cliveden House in Berkshire, it is renowned as a forum for lively discussion, innovative ideas, and political debate, Cliveden Literary Festival has been described by Ian McEwan as ‘probably the world’s best small literary festival,’ and by Alain de Botton as ‘the most dignified and beautiful literary festival on the planet’.
Brontë Festival of women’s writing 3024: Webs of childhood: Back from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September at Bronte Parsonage Museum, the festival celebrates contemporary writers and artists through this year's theme - Webs of Childhood - tying the 2024 special exhibition on the Brontës' younger years. The festival's focus is literature for children and young adults witha a host of fantastic speakers and workshop leaders including headline speaker Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
Stratford Literary Festival: Holding it’s autumn programme from October 8 to 27, faces at the festival will include Dan Snow, Jodi Picoult, Jess Philips, Carol Klein, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and a Loose Ends recording with Stuart Macoonie (Radio 4) - and many more.
A personal fave.. Kendal Mountain Festival: The Book Festival, to be held from November 21-14, is an interwoven and much loved part of the award-winning Kendal Mountain Festival, which takes place in Kendal each November. Through literature and the arts the festival provides an opportunity to pause and explore the living world. Includes a wide variety of talks from authors, poets, academics, and more. It also includes the presentation of the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature and a series of Children's authors to inspire the youngest festival goers.
Sorry this is slightly late this week - and if there’s any typos I apologise to all of you who this far! Until next week, please subscribe, like and share for the win. Sending peace.. Nx