I am currently ploughing through the info regarding the speakers and sessions for the Winchester festival. This will be my first year there.

Can anyone recommend anyone they have found particularly good or helpful? There is a whole selection of authors and agents attending and I would like to make sure I make the right choice for the sessions. What is worthwhile, what is less useful.

I am particularly interested in contemporary womens fiction, writing for teenagers/young adults and scriptwriting. Can anyone give me any names of any other people I can speak to whilst I am there for advice (i.e. other people who are not necessarily speakers).

Is anyone else from the forum going? What have their experiences been like in the past?

Thanks

I've been for the last few years, mcspreaden - the seminar & workshops (especially the Friday all day, and the Friday night/Sunday morning ones) are usually very good - particularly for poetry (though I know you're not into that).

I also run the Goldenford book stall in the book fair, along with others - so come and say hello if you're free!

I'm not sure I can help you much with one-to-ones, though you can always search on the internet/look at the descriptions in the booklet to see what sort of writing they like. It's good experience to see agents/publishers - but be warned that they can on occasion be very abrupt and nasty if they know they don't want you (it's happened to me, and several others also). Don't let that get you down, or put you off the rest of what's on offer. It's only one person's opinion after all - and they're not infallible by a long chalk!

A
xxx