If you like your fiction with dark family secrets, obsession, magical realism, strong women or a bit of the Gothic, this year’s Festival will be a treat for you with visiting authors who tick all those boxes and more.

Local writers can also gain insight into the publishing industry and learn how to master their craft by taking part in a range of workshops and events focusing on writing. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, these events below provide a wealth of information and advice that will guide you on your creative journey.

Discovering Local Voices

Mya Roberts, Nicholas Rowe, Jill Chadwick

When: Tuesday 02 May, 18:00 to 19:00
Where: Guille-Allès Library

Join three local authors to hear about their books and how they went about getting published. Mya Roberts’s Song of the Sea tells the story of a Guernsey girl who, in 1775, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to live her dreams and survive her nightmares. Jill Chadwick’s second novel Sing Out! explores the highs and lows of life within a community choir in South London. Nicholas Rowe’s first book, Poetry in the Camera’s Light, uses poetry and photography operating in conjunction as its form of expression, designed to leverage the eBook medium.

Kindly sponsored by Guernsey Arts.

Jag Sherbourne: Clouds in my Guernsey Sky — A Memoir of Love, Truth & Hope

When: Thursday 04 May, 18:00 to 19:00
Where: Guille-Allès Library

Clouds is a fascinating account of the legacy of Guernsey’s wartime past, and the power it holds to influence the lives of future generations. This true story explores the social impact that evacuation and occupation had on newlyweds Charles and Kathleen, and how their separation shaped the future for all those that followed them. Jag Sherbourne is a retired maths teacher who wrote this heart-warming memoir after an email from a stranger raised questions about her family’s past. In conversation with Steve Foote.

Kindly sponsored by Guernsey Arts.

Liz Hyder: The Gifts

When: Thursday 11 May from 13:00 to 14:00
Where: Guille-Allès Library

Liz Hyder is a writer, creative workshop leader and freelance arts PR consultant. Recounted from five different perspectives, the adult debut from the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize category winner is a rich and rewarding gothic mystery set in 19th century England, where mysterious creatures and a supposed ‘fallen angel’ spell danger and obsession for four women and a fame-hungry surgeon.

Gail Simmons: Writing about Place

Workshop

When: Saturday 13 May, 9:30 to 12:00
Where: The Bathing pools

Do you have a passion for places and words? Using a combination of classroom discussion, fieldwork and a practical exercise, this workshop will introduce you to the skills and concepts needed to turn your enthusiasm into writing that brings places to life. The workshop includes a short walk. Please bring along a notepad and pen or an electronic method of writing (e.g. laptop/tablet/phone).

Kindly sponsored by Rawlinson & Hunter.

Georgine Moore: The Garnett Girls

When: Sunday 14 May, 10:00 to 11:00
Where: Les Cotils

Georgina Moore is an award-winning book publicist and Deputy MD of Midas PR agency. The Garnett Girls is set to be one of the biggest debuts of the year — a powerful tale of sisterhood that asks whether children can ever be free of the mistakes of their parents. The novel is set on the Isle of Wight, where Georgina and her family have a holiday houseboat called Sturdy.

Abigail Burdess: Mother’s Day

When: Friday 12 May, 16:00 to 17:00
Where: Guille-Allès Library

Abigail Burdess has a wealth of experience writing for nearly every entertainment format imaginable, including award-winning comedy shows for television, radio and stage, as well as children’s television, plays and musicals. At this event she will be discussing her journey into fiction writing and how it has differed from other writing endeavours, resulting in the publication of her debut novel Mother’s Day: a highly anticipated thriller, with ‘the mother of all twists’, and a perfect read for fans of My Sister, The Serial Killer and Magpie.