London Festival of Writing 2024

The Jericho Writers' festival stayed in London again this year, but in a fancy new venue, the Leonardo Hotel in Tower Bridge. As before, I'll let the photos do the talking. 

The joy of seeing novels by three of our fabulous self-edit alumni will never get old. 

 

This year, there was merch!

My Facing the Fear workshop. Didn't manage to take any pix of the self-edit session.

 

The traditional Self-Edit alumni pic. Special shout-out to John Taylor and Zoë Richards, both of whom were celebrating their recent book launches and are now inscribed in our Self-Edit Hall of Fame.

 

Birthday flowers for me! 

 

The shortlist for Friday Night Live (but on a Saturday)

 

The winner! Huge congrats to Kate Sheehan-Finn. Can't wait to see what happens next for her novel, Manumission.

 

On stage with festival director  and co-host of FNL, Becca Day. 

 

Big thanks as always to our panel of agents, Silé Edwards, Ciara Finan, Megan Carroll, Laura Williams, Louise Buckley, Susan Yearwood, whose feedback is always so useful.

The closing keynote address had particular resonance this year. I first encountered Marvellous Michael Anson when she was shortlisted for the online FNL in 2022. She came to York in 2022 as runner-up for the Kit de Waal bursary and we met in person.

 

This was us in 2022 at York. 

 

I was delighted to see Marve had applied for the bursary for the self-edit course as, by now, I knew I really wanted to work with her. She completed the course in Feb 2023 and we met again at LFoW23 later that year.

Here we are in 2023 at Regent College.

And now, in 2024, Marve is our keynote speaker, celebrating the publication (in 2025) of her fantasy novel, Firstborn of the Sun. Marve was accompaid onstage by her agent, Kesia Lupo.

 

Plans are already underway for LFoW25, which will be at the same venue. You can register for updates here.

London Festival of Writing 2023

 Shamefully late in posting photos from LFoW23. This time, the festival was in London, at Regents College, and was non-residential. I'll let the pix do the talking. 

The opening keynote address with Philippa East, self-edit alumna and starry star.

John Taylor, who has been to every FoW apart from 2022 (blame Covid) with his first published novel.

With Marve Michael, winner of the self-edit bursary and keynote speaker for 2024. Full list of bursary winners on the screen behind us.

Writers writing in my workshop on voice

Caring and sharing in my Facing the Fear workshop

Agent Silé Edwards making connections with one of the Friday Night Live (on Saturday) finalists.

The traditional self-edit alumni pic

 

With Anna Burtt, co-hosting Friday Night Live (on Saturday)

Bookings open for LFoW24, again in London but in a very swanky venue! The self-edit course, now in its 13th year, is going strong. Details here. Bursaries available - see here. For evidence of how transformative the course is, check out our Hall of Fame.