Are you thinking of writing or already working on a novel? Would you like the chance to hone your skills with expert tuition in a small group?
Huddersfield Literature Festival presents a full day of 3 x 2-hour novel writing workshops with award-winning authors and creative writing tutors: Antonia Hodgson, Okechukwu Nzelu & Linda Green. Followed by an optional early evening 'Sharing Session' of your work in a friendly group.
Limited numbers - book early to secure your place. Tickets: £20 (£15 conc) for the day (3 workshops), plus coffee/tea on arrival and during the afternoon break.
Plus 3 x free places available for unwaged/low waged Kirklees residents; to apply, contact michelle@key-words.co.uk. Supported by funding from Arts Council England.
Dates
Sat 25 November 2023
Space
Cellar Theatre
Tickets
£15.00 - £20.00
Duration
435 minutes
Intermission Duration
45 minutes
Age guidance
18+
Schedule
Registration 10am-10.30am
10.30am-12.30pm, The Art of Editing – with Antonia Hodgson
Are you in the middle of a short story, or a novel? Just finished your first draft? Whatever stage you’re at, this workshop will help you gain a fresh, healthy perspective on your work in progress. Led by author and professional editor Antonia Hodgson, this workshop will include short, practical exercises, group discussions and a brief Q&A on publishing at the end. Please bring a few pages of material if you can. (You won’t have to share your work unless you choose to.) Antonia Hodgson is the author of the bestselling Thomas Hawkins crime series. Her first novel, The Devil in the Marshalsea, won the CWA Historical Dagger and was selected for the Richard & Judy and Waterstones book clubs. She worked as an editor in trade publishing for over 20 years, and has abridged novels for BBC Radio 4.
1pm-3pm Start with Setting – with Okechukwu Nzelu
Setting can be a challenging aspect of fiction: where do you begin? How much do you tell the reader? How does it interact with character and plot? In this workshop, led by author and lecturer Okechukwu Nzelu, exercises and discussion will guide you to creating a setting that is convincing and engaging. Okechukwu Nzelu is a Manchester-based writer and the recipient of a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North (2015). His debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Polari First Book Prize. His second novel Here Again Now was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award and the Polari Book Prize. He is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University.
3.15pm-5.15pm Whose Story Is It? – with Linda Green
Knowing whose story you are telling and how to create convincing characters who will hold the reader's attention are crucial skills for a novelist. This workshop will guide you through how to select the best point of view character/s for your story with practical examples and tips. Author and creative writing tutor Linda Green will also show you how to create and develop memorable characters with the power to move your readers. Linda Green is the author of 11 novels, which have sold more than 1.4 million copies. Her domestic thriller The Last Thing She Told Me was a Richard & Judy Book Club selection and this was followed by One Moment - a Radio 2 Book Club pick. Her current novel, In Little Stars, is a modern-day reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, set against a backdrop of a Brexit-divided West Yorkshire.
