This month, we welcomed Vivian Akinpelu from Pneuma Springs Publishing to the Write Place.

Vivian gave an illuminating and interesting talk that traced the history of their company from a gap that was identified in the publishing industry to their current success and future philosophy.

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Details have just been posted on the 'Workshops' page of the latest workshop. We are thrilled to announce that Cindy-Lou Dale will present a 1 day

'Travel Writers' Workshop' on Sunday 28th March in Dartford.

Please make sure you book as soon as possible. This is bound to be a very popular workshop.

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We were thrilled to welcome William Beadle from The Whitechapel Society 1888 to The Write Place. William amazed us all with his incredibly detailed knowledge of the Jack the Ripper crimes and the plethora of theories surrounding the investigations. William also talked about the trials and tribulations of writing his book, 'Jack The Ripper: Unmasked'. 

http://www.whitechapelsociety.com/

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Our October speaker was crime writer Yvonne Hughes who gave us an excellent insight into promoting and marketing a novel. Her talk was enlightening, informative and funny.

Yvonne Hughes lives in Kent with her husband Gordon. Her grown up children Nichola and Jonathan live in dread of being featured in her work (little do they know).  A weaver of tales and stories from the moment she learned to speak, a prerequisite being the eldest of six, beating her identical twin sister into the world by twenty minutes. Her interest in the effects of crime and deviance began when she studied with the Open University, gaining a BA in Social Sciences. Yvonne knows her subject well and uses her own background in terms of time and place in all her novels, so that they have a resonance and a truth that sets them apart. Her latest novel is A Web of Murder. It is a gritty, witty contemporary take on the police thriller - a bleak, recognisable view of modern Britain shot through with the gallows humour of the career copper and flashes of Provencal sunshine.

 

Our September speaker was writer & journalist,  Joanna Czechowska.

Joanna Czechowska has worked as a journalist in women's magazines for many years. Starting as a sub editor and feature writer, she began writing fiction about 10 years ago and has had short stories published in magazines such Best, The Lady and That's Life. About five years ago she began writing a novel, The Black Madonna of Derby, drawing on her own background as the daughter of a second world war Polish pilot. The novel was initially taken up by a small publisher in Warsaw and published in Polish under the title Goodbye Polsko. Its success meant the English edition came out in 2008. It is the only novel so far published about those Poles who came to the UK during and immediately after the last war. The story focuses on three generations of a Polish immigrant family in Derby and their struggles with conflicting culture, language, and loyalties. The Guardian said, 'I quickly became immersed in this story about a Polish immigrant family. The daughter was especially intriguing...'

The Black Madonna of Derby (Silkmill Press, £7.99)

Goodbye Polsko (Media Foran, £7.99)

  

June's Speaker

 

Against all the odds, Kelly Rose Bradford joined us at The Write Place on June 22nd. She battled through horrendous traffic problems to speak to us . Kelly made us laugh with her no-holds barred talk about life in the fast lane of journalism and writing. Stories ranged from Christmas elves, to nude portraits and private investigators. Her talk was honest, inspiring and a breath of fresh air.

For further information about Kelly: www.krbradford.co.uk/

 

May's Speaker

 

 

 

 

In May, we welcomed Lynn and Grace from Pen Press to The Write Place. Lynn gave an informative talk about the different routes to publication. There were lots of shocking insights into the world of publishing including the amount of money that changes hands on the bestseller lists and how effective marketing in the mainstream often involves vast financial backing from the mainstream publishers. Lynn and Grace answered lots probing questions and showed off their wonderful range of  publications. For further information: http://www.penpress.co.uk

 

April's Speaker

 

 

Our speaker for April was Danny Hogan who introduced us to the world of burlesque and pulp fiction. Danny was keen to promote the new imprint at Indepenpress, Pulp Press. Danny has just published Killer Tease and was keen to share his experiences and thoughts on the novel writing experience. Pulp Press seems to have spotted a niche in the publishing with its commitment to producing new pulp fiction and pulp classics. http://www.pulppress.co.uk/

 

Jagger Watch

You can keep up with all the latest news and achievements from The Write Place at the Dartford Times and their Jagger Watch feature. http://www.dartfordtimes.com/content/kent/dartfordtimes/JaggerWatch/