There will be a special table set aside in the Book Room for folk to browse and bag themselves a bargain, thanks to your generosity.

Swanwick is all about inspiration and sharing knowledge. With your help, we can do both – and raise some extra funds for the School – with the 'How To' books that have inspired you in the past.

Please hand your donated books to Lois or a member of her Book Room team (opening times are shown in your programme booklet). 

Thank you so much!

Welcome to our first online e-brochure. Simply click on the link on the Programme page and you can download this year's Swanwick programme in advance of your printed copy. 

Everything is here, from the day-to-day schedule of courses, workshops, guest speakers and entertainment to the 'ins and outs' of the Swanwick week.

Naturally, you will also receive our traditional printed brochure on arrival at the School as part of your 'welcome pack'. If you prefer to receive it by post in advance, simply let the Secretary know by emailing secretary@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk with your details. Anyone who has already expressed a preference will automatically receive their copy by post.

The magic starts here...

See Simon's website for readers’ reviews such as these:

• “Hall’s characterisations are so good it’s hard to believe you are reading a work of fiction... another superb crime novel.”
• “I read this book in less than 24 hours, I was so carried away with the story.”
  

Or professional critiques such as these:

• Books Monthly - "Suicides and blackmail, races against time to solve the clues make this the best yet by Simon, and kept me guessing right to the end. I didn't identify the blackmailer, which I think is something of a triumph for the author. Absolutely riveting, a great read."
• Random Jottings - "A brilliant crime/detection novel. The whole thing crackles with tension and pace and I thought it was excellent." 
• Eurocrime - "A really enjoyable read... taut, well plotted and creates such a pace it became a personal race against time to finish it in one sitting."
  

For information on booking a session with Simon, or any of our other available 1:1 tutors, see Programme Extras: 1:1s.

Other 1:1 Tutor sessions currently available include:

• Alison Chisholm – Autobiography/Memoir
  
• Judy Hall – Fiction/Non-Fiction 
  
• Rachel Contini – Setting/Achieving your writing goals 
  

For help or advice, please email Lesley on secretary@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk

Just search for the hashtag #AskSwanwick on Tuesday 22nd July at 7.30pm (UK Time) - if you're new to Twitter, make sure you follow 'all' not just 'top' search results. To ask a question, tweet using the #AskSwanwick hashtag followed by your question. Our team has put together a short guide to joining in and the chat etiquette.

Selected highlights of each session are available on the Swanwick website a few weeks after each chat.

On June 2nd, we chatted to agent John Jarrold about the latest trends in SF, Fantasy and Horror. A leading agent who represents only those genres, John's been a speaker and tutor at Swanwick. We’re sure many of you will remember his interview with the late Iain M. Banks.

Much of the Twitter chat focused on the power of ‘voice’. In every submission he sees, he’s looking for voice, story and characters that make him think ‘Wow’. And, it’s getting harder for writers as the standard of his submission pile, which he reads entirely himself, is getting higher. “As ever,” he said, “it’s a THRILL to see a wonderful new writer.”

Developing a voice, John said, was part of the learning experience of becoming a writer. Judging whether those voices worked was subjective. There were plenty of voices that he didn’t personally like, but that other agents or publishers did. Great voices came across from the very first page.

But how does a writer hone their ‘voice’? “Read, Read, Read, Write, Write, Write.” He suggested that it is vital that writers look at the books they read as more than just a story - it’s important to be aware of the book’s voice as well.