Saturday 6 July 1100 - 1600

A day of Masterclasses and conversation with author Clare Chambers and her editor, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Publishing Director Alexa von Hirschberg.

Do you have a novel writing project that needs attention? Perhaps you need some technical help, are looking for tips to support your fiction writing, or are curious about navigating the industry in general? Join bestselling writer Clare Chambers and editor Alexa von Hirschberg for an intensive day-long creative writing workshop focused on writing fiction.

Brought to you in partnership with the brilliant Arvon, this day-long workshop and panel discussion will get you writing in a supportive and friendly atmosphere and leave you full of knowledge and ideas, with clarity on the next steps. The day will include a two-part interactive workshop with Clare, followed by a panel discussion with Alexa and Clare including a Q&A session when you will have the opportunity to ask questions about life as a writer, editing your own work, and the publishing landscape for fiction. Writers of all experience levels are welcome!

About the contributors

Clare Chambers was born in SE London in 1966 and began her career as a secretary at the publisher André Deutsch, when Diana Athill was still at the helm. Her first novel was published by Deutsch in 1992 and she is the author of nine other novels.

Small Pleasures, her first work of fiction in a decade, became a word-of-mouth bestseller. It was selected for BBC2 Between the Covers, BBC Radio 4 Book Club and A Book at Bedtime, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2021 and won Pageturner of the Year at the British Book Awards 2022. Her new novel Shy Creatures will be published in August this year.

Alexa von Hirschberg is Publishing Director at Weidenfeld and Nicolson, where she publishes literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. Alexa has worked at Faber & Faber, Bloomsbury and Canongate; authors past and present include Clare Chambers, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Melissa Harrison, Kae Tempest, Benjamin Myers, Natasha Pulley, Samantha Shannon, Jackie Kay, Patrick DeWitt and Zoe Gilbert.

There will refreshments provided for tea and coffee breaks during the day. The ticket price doesn’t include lunch, but participants are welcome to bring lunch to eat at the Custom House, or there are a number of good food outlets near to us on the Quayside.