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Draft:Bournemouth Writing Festival

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The Bournemouth Writing Festival is a community-focused, annual writing event held in Bournemouth, Dorset, spanning three days each April. Founded in 2023 by entrepreneur and marketing consultant Dominic Wong.[1], the festival is designed to inspire writers of all levels, from beginners to published authors, through a series of talks, panels, workshops, and community-focused activities. The festival's slogan, "Inspiring Writers to Write," encapsulates its mission to motivate and support writers and poets of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

History

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The inaugural Bournemouth Writing Festival took place on April 23-25, 2023. The primary venue was Arts University Bournemouth's Palace Court Theatre[2], with additional events hosted at THIS Workspace and The Avenue Shopping Centre. The 2024 festival, held on April 25-27, moved to Pavilion Dance South West[3], utilising The Avenue Shopping Centre and Bobbys department store as satellite venues. Activities included a typewriter event in the Bandstand in the Lower Gardens and literary heritage walking tours highlighting landmarks such as Mary Shelley's grave at St Peter's Church and the Hotel Miramar, where J.R.R. Tolkien holidayed[4].

Main Festival

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The Bournemouth Writing Festival's main events feature a variety of sessions from BAFTA-winning screenwriters, best-selling authors, journalists, poets, and literary agents. These sessions include talks, panels, and workshops designed to engage both professional and amateur writers. Notable events from the 2024 festival included "Writing on the Beach" with Richard & Judy Book Club winner Christine Aziz[5] and typewriter activities in collaboration with the University of Winchester.

In 2024, the festival introduced one-on-one sessions with literary agents, providing attendees the opportunity to pitch their novels. Private consultations with writing and book marketing professionals were also available. Networking events such as Genre Breakfasts and Mealtime Meetups were hosted in local cafes and restaurants, fostering connections among writers in similar genres. Evening events featured performances and open mics showcasing local writers and poets, including a finale highlighting community groups such as LGBT writers, asylum seekers, international students, and recovering addicts[6].

Partnerships

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The festival collaborates with a variety of local businesses and institutions, emphasising community engagement. For example, the Creative Writing Workshop for Adults with Additional Needs was run in conjunction with Tricuro Care[7], while both Arts University Bournemouth[8] and Bournemouth University played active roles in the festival with in-kind support, lecturers giving talks and judging competitions. Bradford Gyori, course leader of Bournemouth University's MA Creative Writing and Publishing course, is an Advisory Board member[9].

In 2024, a partnership with the Winchester Poetry Festival led to the creation of a Poetry Hub, featuring live performances and drop-in sessions.

An Advisory Board[10] was established in 2023 to provide strategic support to the festival director. These include:

  • Dr Bradford Gyori[11], course leader of the MA Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University.
  • Matthew West[12], director of writer development agency based in Southampton.
  • Kim West, poet.
  • Sue Cheung[13], best-selling author.

In 2024, Sue Cheung stepped down and was replaced by best-selling author Alex Stone[14].

Funding

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The Bournemouth Town Centre BID[15] has provided funding for the festival over three years, with additional support from Arts Council England in 2024. This funding helped subsidise activities under a pay-what-you-can scheme. Private sponsorships and ticket sales also contribute to the festival's financial resources.

Competitions

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Poetry and Flash Fiction Competition

In 2024, the festival launched a poetry and flash fiction competition in partnership with local publisher Dithering Chaps. Themed "Lines in the Sand," the competition was judged by creative writing lecturers from Arts University Bournemouth. Proceeds from entry donations were directed to the local writing charity Vita Nova, which also benefited from free entries for its members[16]. The winning entries were compiled into an anthology available on Amazon.

Children's Competition

A football-themed writing competition for Dorset schoolchildren and home-educated students was held in collaboration with Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. Winners received prizes such as visits to the stadium and personalised home shirts from the women's team[17]. In its second year, the competition adopted a nature theme, partnering with Dorset Goes Wild and the Hengistbury Head Writing Group. Winning entries were displayed at Bournemouth Central Library, with prizes including trips to local nature attractions like the Oceanarium and Abbotsbury Swannery.

International Students Competition

In cooperation with Bayswater Bournemouth, a writing competition for international students in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole areas was established under the theme "Bournemouth Beach." This competition was sponsored by the International Education Association[18]

Ongoing Events

The Bournemouth Writing Festival organises a variety of year-round events to continue fostering a writing community. These include monthly networking events[19] and writing groups held in council-run libraries[20]. The festival also maintains an online presence through a Facebook writing group and a YouTube channel[21] featuring interviews with local writers, authors, and writing professionals.

Links Bournemouth Writing Festival website.

References

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  1. ^ "'Our Ealing home would have fit into the kitchen of our £650k house in Bournemouth'". 11 March 2024.
  2. ^ "'We are over the moon': Bournemouth writing festival to give creative boost". 19 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Bournemouth Writing Festival".
  4. ^ "Our History | Hotel Miramar". March 2021.
  5. ^ "Christine Aziz: The book prize that changed my life". Independent.co.uk. 10 October 2005.
  6. ^ "Writing Home: Stories from the edges of print Archive".
  7. ^ "Pavilion Dance South West | Additional Needs Writing Course".
  8. ^ "AUB becomes headline sponsor at the inaugural Bournemouth Writing…". 24 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Dr Brad Gyori - Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages".
  10. ^ "About the Bournemouth Writing Festival".
  11. ^ "Dr Brad Gyori - Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages".
  12. ^ "Matt West, Director, ArtfulScribe".
  13. ^ https://www.suepickford.com/
  14. ^ "Best-selling author Alex Stone joins Strategic Advisory Board".
  15. ^ "BID support for Bournemouth Writing Festival | Town Centre BID".
  16. ^ "Bournemouth Writing Festival Writing Competition 2024".
  17. ^ "Writing Festival winners earn surprise visit from AFC Bournemouth's Women's team". 12 October 2023.
  18. ^ "International Students Competition".
  19. ^ "Networking Events".
  20. ^ "Local Writing Groups | Bournemouth Writing Festival".
  21. ^ "Bournemouth Writing Festival - YouTube". YouTube.
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