There was a lot to celebrate at November’s Novel Nights 2nd birthday. Two years of programming talks with great authors, tips from agents and themed evenings.
We’ve covered subjects from voice, genre hopping, researching historical fiction, writing YA fiction, science-fiction, judging short stories, publishing stories, flash-fiction and writing flash, and well, the list goes on.
Alongside guest speakers we’ve been entertained and privileged to hear over 50 novelists and short story writers reading their work.
For me it’s been two years of organising, building a brand, finding an audience, maintaining a website, building social media, flyering and endless administration to make it happen. Going forward should be easier I hope and we will build on our success and work with wonderful writers in Bristol.
A few things inspired me to set the event up. The first Bristol Festival of Literature event five years ago programmed ambitious events. I heard the lovely Ali Reynolds (ex- Arc Editorial) interviewing agents at the Watershed as well as panels of authors speaking. I knew I wanted that thrill and inspiration more often than once a year.
So Novel Nights began as a bit of fun, a space for fiction writers to perform and a wish list for programming guests to give writers inspiration.
Round-up of Bristol writing events
Since I started there are a lot more live events for fiction writers in Bristol. Grass roots events such as Talking Tales, Let me Tell You a Story Jack, Women Unchained Story Sundays and Bristol Festival of Literature are thriving whilst the National Flash Fiction Day, Novel Writers at Spike Island, RLF talks, Festival of Ideas programming (supported by the Observer) are putting Bristol on the national writing map, and, in the case of Bristol Short Story prize, giving an international presence.
It’s a great time to be writing in Bristol with lots of support and opportunities to mingle at events like Novel Nights, the recent fabulous #SanctumBristol or with the Meet Up writing groups (Sandra Fairbrother well done).
For 2016
Moving forward we’ll be running Novel Nights from Strawberry Thief Bar for 2016. Can’t wait. It’s a suberb venue
