Working on a novel, memoir, short story, picture book, or children's book? The Virtual Writers' Weekend, online from 24-27 June, 2021, is a place where writers working in all genres and at all levels can find writing support, editorial feedback and meet one-to-one with your choice of over 35 literary agents to pitch their manuscripts. Our two fabulous keynote speakers this year are Diana Gabaldon, author of the bestselling ‘Outlander’ series, and children’s author and illustrator Chris Riddell.
As the event is online, you can attend from anywhere in the world! Meet other emerging writers in discussion groups organised by topic and Writers’ Circles of up to six writing in the same genre that kick-off with a session on giving effective and supportive feedback and ending with a one-to-one with a literary agent or author mentor. Virtually attend talks on the craft of writing given by bestselling authors, including Kate Mosse, Robert Fabbri, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Helen Fields, Lissa Evans, MG Leonard, Derek Miller, Tracey Corderoy, and more! Enter one or more of our six writing competitions, including a FREE competition for young writers, aged 4 – 16.
There is a package for every budget and we have scholarships and bursaries available to help. The booking deadline is 20 June, but it is recommended that you book early to get your top one-to-one picks. For the full programme and all details, please visit: www.writersweekend.uk
Diana’s hugely popular Outlander series, set in 18th century Scotland, merges multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure, and science fiction. The first novel in the series was published in 1991 followed by seven additional New York Times hit novels with more than twenty-eight million copies in print world-wide and published in 26 countries in 23 languages, and includes The Outlandish Companion, Volumes One and Two.
A television adaption of the Outlander novels premiered in 2014, with Diana serving as co-producer and advisor, and quickly developed a devoted world-wide audience. She has also written several books in a sub-series featuring characters from the main series and a graphic novel titled The Exile set in the Outlander universe. Diana is in the process of completing the ninth book in the Outlander series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone.
Diana holds three degrees in science: Zoology, Marine Biology, and a Ph.D. in Quantitative Behavioural Ecology, and spent a dozen years as a university professor with an expertise in scientific computation before beginning to write fiction. Her varied writing career includes scientific articles and textbooks and numerous comic-book scripts for Walt Disney!
Chris is an illustrator, author and political cartoonist for the Observer. He has enjoyed great acclaim for his books for children which have won a number of major prizes, including the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal an unprecedented three times and the Costa Book Award in 2013 for his book, Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse. Between 2015-2017, Chris served as the UK Children’s Laureate and in 2019 he was awarded an OBE by the Queen for his services to children’s literature.
Chris's previous work includes the award-winning Goth Girl and Ottoline series, The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians of Magic, Once Upon A Wild Wood, The Emperor of Absurdia, and last year he illustrated the new edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Macmillan Children's Books). Alongside his middle-grade fiction and picture books, Chris also enjoys poetry and has edited and illustrated a series of best-selling poetry anthologies including Poems to Live Your Life By, Poems to Fall in Love With and Poems to Save the World With (Macmillan Children's Books). Chris has also collaborated with many highly acclaimed authors and illustrated many of their books including Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book, Pirate Stew), Frances Hardinge (The Lie Tree), Paul Stewart (The Edge Chronicles), Francesca Gibbons (A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth), Michael Rosen (Honey for You, Honey for Me) and JK Rowling (Beedles and the Bard). This year, Chris has illustrated a gorgeous new edition of Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll in celebration of the 150th anniversary of its publication and the 42nd special anniversary edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Chris lives in Brighton with his family.
There are a number of packages available for every budget. For package details, go to: www.writersweekend.uk/booking
Scholarships and bursaries are also available.
