Honorary Conference Patrons
Baroness James of Holland Park OBE
Jacqueline Wilson OBE
Maureen Lipman CBE
Colin Dexter OBE

News Update

We are delighted to hear that some publishing deals are being agreed as a result of attendance at the 2011 Conference. We will update details when we have them confirmed. More than 100 authors have now made it into print as a result of coming to the Winchester Writers' Conference and the list keeps growing.

Our Future Events:

The 2012 Conference is scheduled for 22 - 24 June 2012

Our Recent Past Events:

The 31st Winchester Writers' Conference - July 2011

We had another glittering line-up of authors, poets, playwrights, literary agents, commissioning editors and other industry specialists who dedicated themselves to supporting both fledgling and published writers at this international event.

Our vast programme included 35 workshops, 60 lectures, 500 one-to-one appointments and 18 writing competitions.

A selection of photographs from the conference can be found on one of our photographer's Flickr sites and throughout the conference website (images subject to copyright).

The talented team of professional writers who attended the 2011 conference included Jack Sheffield who was 'discovered' at a previous Winchester conference. His first four novels, Teacher, Teacher!, Mister Teacher, Dear Teacher and Village Teacher were Waterstone's Books of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Jack's latest novel, Please Sir, was published earlier this year. Pictured (right): Professor Tony King, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Centre, Professor Joy Carter, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester, Barbara Large, Conference Director, and plenary speakers Barry Cunningham and Geoff Holt.

We were also delighted to welcome back Judith Allnatt, whose second novel, The Poet's Wife, won critical acclaim in 2010. Craig Batty, co-author of Writing for the Screen: Creative and Critical Approaches and Vanessa Gebbie, whose novel The Coward's Tale will soon be published by Bloomsbury, were amongst the wonderful company of writers on hand to offer advice and guidance.

Many delegates took the opportunity to 'pitch' their work to top literary agents such as Judith Murdoch, who has just negotiated a 2-book deal for recent Conference attendee Alison Sherlock, and Teresa Chris, who will gave a talk involving four of the writers she 'discovered' at Winchester Conferences, Debby Holt, Jane Wenham Jones, Allie Spencer and Sophie King.

Carolyn Caughey, Senior Commissioning Editor for Hodder & Stoughton, gave a mini-course entitled 'Things Every Writer Should Know'.... and we wait to see if she has been successful in finding a best-seller this year!

More than a hundred writers have now reported major publishing successes as a direct result of their attendance at our past conferences. Five of these spoke about their successes at the Plenary Session on Saturday 2 July. After this year's conference, several delegates have now gained representation and we have an ongoing dialogue between other delegates and agents interested in seeing more of their work.

Many current and past delegates have praised the excellence of the lectures, workshops and one-to-one appointments as well as the comfortable facilities, adding how enjoyable it is to meet and to exchange ideas with others who have the same compelling interests, even during the Midnight Read!

OTHER WRITERS' EVENTS:

Hampshire Writers' Society

The Hampshire Writers' Society has been established following a Higher Education Innovation Funding award from the University of Winchester's Research and Knowledge Centre. It is currently being registered as a limited company and will offer membership by annual subscription (£25 in the year 2011-2012) to anyone interested in the craft of writing.

The Society is organising a series of 10 talks of interest to writers. These will take place monthly on Tuesday evenings at the University of Winchester from September 2011 to June 2012. Membership £25 a year. To apply contact the Membership Secretary Karin Groves via email: membership.hws@gmail.com

Please note the Hampshire Writers' Society events are not organised by the University of Winchester. Contact the Society directly for more information.

"For now, I wish you continued success with your writing. I look forward immensely to hearing your writing news and to welcoming you to our next events."
Barbara Large MBE FRSA HFUW
Founder-Director, Winchester Writers' Conference

Directions to the University

Photographs on this site are subject to copyright and can not be reproduced without the express permission of the Winchester Writers' Conference and the photographer. Our thanks to the 2011 photographers: Active Shot and Non Stop News.