First
published 22nd March 2023
As
a new writer, you will probably be very excited to attend your first literary
event or festival. “At last,” you will probably say to yourself; “I’ve made it!
I’ll be able to sit there selling endless piles of signed copies of my book to
hordes of adoring fans.”
Of
course, it doesn’t happen quite like that in real life, and some new authors
become disillusioned when they realise that most of the people there haven’t
come to buy their book, but to promote their own work.
Whatever
you do, however, don’t become disillusioned by this, because literary events
are a very worthwhile endeavour for authors, from the unknown first-timer, up
to best selling household names. The main purpose of events like these is not
to provide a direct selling outlet, but more to give you an opportunity to
promote your work and your brand in the long term, and to network with other
writers, publishers and book sellers..
It
is the perfect chance to learn more about the industry, to see how others
navigate the writing, publishing and marketing process. It was with this in
mind that I was delighted to attend the Authors Assemble event, held in the
beautiful surroundings of The Assembly Rooms, The Crescent, in Buxton,
Derbyshire, alongside one of the authors that we at Brindle Books are lucky
enough to represent, Dr David J Blackmore, author of the ‘Wellington’s
Dragoon’ series.
David
used the event as an opportunity to launch and showcase the latest book in the
Wellington’s Dragoon series: Behind The Lines, the third volume in the
adventure series about Michael Roberts, a young cavalry officer in the 16th
Light Dragoons, fighting against Napoleon’s armies. He gave a talk about the
books and took along some advance copies of the book to sign.
Behind
The Lines is available to order from Amazon by using the following link:
Behind The Lines (Wellington's Dragoon Book 3) eBook :
Blackmore, David J: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
The
event had been organised by Kerry Fox and her team at Buxton Crescent Heritage
Trust.
You
can find out more about this, and future events on their website:
Home » Buxton Crescent Heritage Experience
(buxtoncrescentexperience.com)
“This is our first Authors
Assemble event,” Kerry told me, “but the plan is to make it an annual event
which will, hopefully, keep growing.”
Judging
by the wealth of talent on display here today, I suspect that Authors Assemble
will indeed become a regular and important literary event, and will continue to
grow year on year.
I
managed to get a few moments to speak with each of the authors, publishers and
book-sellers at the event, and found that there was something for everyone at
Authors Assemble.
In
no particular order, here are the attendees that I spoke to:
George Cutter
www.coffeewithcutter.com
George
released his first book, The Ascension of the Seventh, in 2021. He is currently
working on his second novel, which he describes as a cosmic horror mystery.
Julian Cohen
Julian
is a prolific writer who has lived in Buxton for over 20 years. He has written
many non-fiction books and other publications about young people and drugs. For
many years, he led local open-mic sessions and ran therapeutic writing groups.
He has published a book of poems and short stories, but more recently has
focussed on local history. His most recent work; ‘Buxton Pubs: Stories of our
past and present inns, alehouses, pubs and bars’ was published last year by
Buxton Civic Association.
More
information from: https://buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk/
Terry Newholm
Terry
has lived in Buxton for 9 years. He has published many academic papers over the
years, and co-edited a book, ‘The Ethical Consumer’. More recently, after
making a study of the grotesques, architectural stone heads, that grace
buildings in the area, his research has led to the booklet, ‘A Walk Amongst The
Grotesques of Buxton’.
More
information from: https://buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk/
Chris Witty, from Bookfolk UK
Chris
and Lorraine Witty are independent book-sellers, who trade as Book Folk. They
trade at Buxton market every Tuesday and Saturday, with more markets to be
announced this year. To find out more, you can follow them on Instagram
@bookfolkuk and on Facebook at Book Folk.
You
can also read Chris’s fiction and essays by visiting Christopher Witty | Substack
Alan Roberts
Since
moving to Buxton many years ago to work as a Research Scientist in a nearby
Government Laboratory, Alan has made various studies about the local area and
it’s geography. He has researched the small coal mines that had been worked in
the area, the local Turnpike roads, and several ancient water mills. These
activities led to the publication of his first three books. He has also made
detailed studies of limestone quarrying in the local area of Grin Low, along
with other research published as books.
About - robertspublications
Zoe Sharp
Zoe
is the author of a long running series of novels featuring ex-Special Forces
Trainee-turned Bodyguard heroine Charlie Fox. Her latest book is the first in a
new series, The Last Time She Died, set in the Derbyshire Dales.
You
can find out more about Zoe and her books by following the link below:
My
Latest Books : Zoë Sharp: Author of the Charlie Fox series and the Lakes
Thriller series. (zoesharp.com)
Lucy Rennie
Lucy
is a communication and marketing expert, and author of the best-selling book,
‘Clarity, Communication and Connection, Three Clear Steps to Future Proof Your
Business.’ She helps small businesses to grow, develop and future-proof their
businesses.
To
find out more, use the following link:
I
am Lucy Rennie
Tricia Durdey
Tricia
has danced and written for most of her life. She has two novels published by
Cinnamon Press: ‘The Green Table’, and ‘The Dancer at World’s End.’ She has
also written a memoir about the transformative power of dance in her life,
entitled, ‘Upside Down in a Hoop.’
To
find out more, use the following link:
movingthemind
- Introduction
Ste Durham (S.R.Durham)
S.R.Durham
released his self-published debut novel, the horror thriller ‘Prey’ in 2021.
His second novel, ‘Surrogate’ was released in 2022. He is currently editing his
third novel, due to be released this year.
His
Amazon page can be found here:
Amazon.com: S. R. Durham: books,
biography, latest update
Dr Peter Collinge
Historian
Dr Peter Collinge speaks regularly at museums, festivals and community groups.
He has a large body of published work and is the co-contributing editor of
‘Providing for the Poor: the Old Poor Law 1750-1855’, along with many other
articles and contributions to historical publications.
To
find out more about his work, click the link below:
Peter Collinge | Keele University - Academia.edu
Derbyshire Writing School
Derbyshire
Writing School run creative and practical courses aimed at helping you get the
words out of your head and into the world. They offer a range of resources to
help writers and are definitely worth looking into for any aspiring author.
To
find out more, visit their website:
Derbyshire Writing School
Daniel Henshaw
Daniel
is the author of five children’s books. One of his stories was shortlisted in
the ‘Best Novel For Children’ category at the Wells Festival of Literature in
2016, and a recording of his short story ‘Grandad’s Ghost’ was aired on BBC
radio in 2020. You can follow him on Twitter: @AuthorHenshaw, or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JeremySnails.
His
Amazon author page is here:
Amazon.co.uk: Daniel Henshaw: Books,
Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle
Shirley Mann
Shirley
Mann is a journalist who has worked for various newspapers and broadcasters,
including BBC radio and television. She was inspired by her own parents’
wartime romance to produce her first novel, ‘Lily’s War.’ She has since gone on
to write three more novels.
Shirley’s
Amazon Author page is here:
Amazon.co.uk: Shirley Mann: Books,
Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle
Her
blog can be found here:
Shirley Mann's Blog – Derbyshire Author (home.blog)
Louise Maskill
Louise
Maskill is an author and an editor. She reads and writes for a living and she
believes that writers deserve to have confidence in themselves and their
stories.
She
specialises in working with fantasy novelists, and with academic writers for
whom English is a second or additional language. She has a background in social
science and education, and loves to work with scholars in a wide range of areas
and disciplines.
Her
website can be found here:
About
me - Louise Maskill PhD (lmaskill.com)
Sue Wilkins
Sue
is a children’s author. Her first book was ‘Alfie’s Story’ and was illustrated
by Liz Furness. She has now written six children’s illustrated story books, and
Liz has illustrated them all. Each one has its own character soft toy.
You
can find out more at her website:
Sue
Wilkins – Children's Story Books
Celia Harwood
Celia
is the author of the Buxton Spa Murder Mystery series – crime novels set in the
1920’s and inspired by the town and the people of Buxton, and featuring Eleanor
Harriman, solicitor and sleuth. Her interest in the history of Buxton, and her
experience as a litigation lawyer add an extra layer of depth to her novels.
Celia’s
website can be found here:
CELIA
HARWOOD - HOME
Curlew Press
Curlew
Press is an independent publishing business established in 2019 by two college
friends, Mark Titterton and Karl Barton. They have published a series of
walking and souvenir guides covering the Peak District, along with local
history titles. Their publications are available in local bookshops and other
selected retail outlets.
They
can be contacted by email:
mail@curlewpress.co.uk
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