A grand, redbrick hotel on a cliff overlooking the sea. Yes, the scene was like something out of a novel – which was rather appropriate considering we were all there to hear author Jill Mansell talk about her new book, You and Me, Always. The event was part of the Purbeck Literary Festival and Jill had driven through the wilds of the Somerset and Dorset countryside to meet scores of her ...keep reading
The wide Dorset sky is bright blue today and in a minute I’ll be off to the Purbeck Literary Festival to hear the fabulous Jill Mansell talk about her new book, You and Me, Always. The weather looks so glorious that I’m planning to eschew the car, wrap up warm and walk the mile or so to the Grand Hotel, the clifftop hotel with breathtaking views across Swanage Bay. By the ...keep reading
Over the past week, I’ve collected some brilliant tips on how to write from novelists at the top of their game. Jill Mansell says she doesn’t write in chapters. She writes her novels first, then goes back and looks for natural breaks afterwards. Veronica Henry declares all writers get writer’s block at some point and if it happens to her, she goes for a walk along the beach or takes ...keep reading
Hail, sunshine, a myriad of the nation’s top authors and some delicious cakes – the inaugural Chipping Norton Literary Festival had all these things, and much, much more. Held in one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest towns, this was one of the best literary festivals I’ve been to. Fun, inspiring, friendly, and superbly organised by Emily Carlisle (who only had the idea for the event last August) and her team. I booked ...keep reading