Friday 12 June

Stalls

Walmer Castle Second-Hand Bookshop (Rare – Reference – Art – History)

Walmer Castle Volunteers (Colouring – Crafts – Book Folding)

Verity Thornhill (Romance)

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Programme

11:30 – 12:00 Storytime

• Discover new worlds, meet inspirational characters and lose yourself in your imagination with stories for young minds

13:00 – 13:30 Storytime

13:00 – 14:00 My Journey from Hobby Writer to Indie Author – Verity Thornhill

• How I went from writing short stories in stolen pockets of time, to publishing my first novel, plus the inspiration behind Whispers from the Past and the next book in the series due out in July

14:30 – 15:00 Storytime

Saturday 13 June

Stalls

Walmer Castle Second-Hand Bookshop (Rare – Reference – Art – History)

Walmer Castle Volunteers (Colouring – Crafts – Book Folding)

Anavrin Jay (Fantasy – Romance)

Gail Swainston (Automobiles – Non-Fiction)

Christiane Engel (Children’s – Wildlife – Conservation – Folk Art)

Ed Adams (Non-Fiction – Local History)

Virago Kentish Writers (Community – Independent)

Kevin Marsh (Historical – Crime – Thriller – Action)

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Programme

10:00 – 11:00 Taking inspiration from local locations – Lynne Francis

• Location is frequently my starting point when writing a novel. Walking around the area gives me a feel for it, and researching the history helps me to find, or flesh out, my characters. Deal, Walmer (including the castle), Martin Mill, Ramsgate and Margate have all been the stars of the show in my most recent books.

10:30 – 11:30 Pluckley: The Making and Faking of a Ghost Story – Ed Adams

• Pluckley has been known as The Most Haunted Village in England for as long as anyone today can remember. But what are the historical roots of its many legends? How did the village gain its reputation? And is it truly deserved? Ed Adams investigates the origins of the stories and traces their development through Pluckley’s colourful past and recent history. Pluckley: The Making and Faking of a Ghost Story has all the twists, intrigues and horrors of any good ghostly tale. Except this one is all true.

11:30 – 12:00 Storytime

• Discover new worlds, meet inspirational characters and lose yourself in your imagination with stories for young minds

11:30 – 12:00 Poetry reading from Words on the Walk – Jan Griffin

11:30 – 12:30 Turn This City Wild - Collaborative Illustration Workshop (all ages) - Christiane Engel

• My workshop is inspired by my book Cities Going WILD - children will work together on a large, illustrated paper roll to create their own collaborative version of a wild city (and seawall!). Using drawing, stamps and collage, participants will help transform city + seaside scenes by adding plants, habitats and wildlife. The workshop encourages imagination, observation and collaborative storytelling through art, while exploring how nature can thrive alongside people.

12:15 – 13:00 Storytime - Adventures of Wee Gordon Lambsay – Caroline Fleming

• Gordon Lambsay is a fun Scottish character who loves helping rid people of their upside doon smiles.

12:30 – 13:30 Researching and Writing Popular History – Ed Adams

• The method behind producing a work of popular history; with an introduction to archives, managing research, and the creative process.

13:00 – 13:30 Storytime

13:00 – 14:00 Q&A: Writing as a group – Virago Kentish Writers

• Using writing as a form of connection and journalling together as an antidote to mental health issues

14:00 – 15:00 Me, AI, and writing a historical novel - Gus Ege

• Why I wanted to write a historical fiction novel about the fight for the abolition of slavery and what motivated me to do it. The books that I drew on for inspiration and ideas and some background information on the worldwide nature of slavery (not modern slavery). Bringing to light some of the unsung heroes behind William Wilberforce. Some considerations when writing historical fiction and developing the fictional characters the realities of using AI in novel writing and book promotion.

14:30 – 15:00 Storytime

15:00 – 16:00 Small Sins and Smaller Mercies: Women Carving Out a Passage in Indie Publishing - Anavrin Jay

• This talk will focus on an exploration of women writers in the fantasy genre, specifically with an examination on the recent phenomenon of indie publishing and its various successes. I’ll be at hand to also conduct a Q and A regarding the writing process, genre bending, marketing and the publishing process. 

Sunday 14 June

Stalls

Walmer Castle Second-Hand Bookshop (Rare – Reference – Art – History)

Walmer Castle Volunteers (Colouring – Crafts – Book Folding)

Rebecca Presley (Memoir)

G R Taplin (Thriller)

Fiona Beddow (Young Adult – Adventure)

Alan K. Dell (Science Fiction – Horror)

Virago Kentish Writers (Community – Independent)

Amanda Larkman (Thriller – Witchy)

Kevin Marsh (Historical – Crime – Thriller – Action)

Anna Sayburn Lane (Mystery – Historical – Crime – Fiction)

Alexandra Samothrokai (Memoir – Novella – Short Story – Translation)

Programme

11:00 – 12:00 Writing without Permission: Self-Publishing at Fifty and Finding my Mojo – Amanda Larkman

• After years of rejection, self-doubt and wondering whether it was just too late, author Amanda Larkman discovered that independent publishing offered creative freedom. Five years later she is the author of six novels with over 12,000 sales and a healthy second income. In this honest and encouraging talk, Amanda describes finding the spark she’d thought she’d lost, the realities of building a writing career later in life, tips for successful self-publishing, and why writers (particularly women) should never wait for permission to tell their stories. Includes a reading, Q&A and books for sale.

11:30 – 12:00 Storytime

• Discover new worlds, meet inspirational characters and lose yourself in your imagination with stories for young minds

12:00 – 13:00 Operation Grapple – G R Taplin

• A presentation of the historical background of my second book, including items relating to my fathers time at the tests, and the veterans fight for compensation.

13:00 – 13:30 Storytime

13:00 – 14:00 Translating a Dyslexic Author - Alexandra Samothraki & Helen Allison

• Translating Chronicles of a Dyslexic Author from Greek was a truly rewarding experience. The book's honesty, humour, and unique perspective made every chapter engaging to work on. Bringing the author's voice to life in English involved balancing linguistic accuracy with the warmth and personality of the original text. I am delighted to share this journey and will be joined by Helen Allison, Head of Reading from Bridge & Patrixbourne CEP School,to celebrate the power of literacy, inclusion, and storytelling.

13:00 – 14:00 How to write a historical whodunnit – Anna Sayburn Lane

• The realities what goes into writing novels set in the 1920s, and the challenges of balancing a good mystery story with historical accuracy. I'll share the historical resources I use, pitfalls to watch out for, and how historical research can spark off ideas for stories. 

14:00 – 14:30 Poetry reading from Words on the Walk – Jan Griffin

14:30 – 15:00 Storytime