Come and join our authors for coffee, a workshop or a talk about their writing journeys.
Thursday 3 April
Sandra Hale
Sandra Hale retired from a career as a physiotherapist and latterly as a computer programmer to explore the creative arts she never had time for during her working days.
Now living with her partner of 20 years and her two dogs in a small North Dorset town, she spends her time writing, spinning and knitting alongside her love of exploring the countryside.
She shares her experiences within her stories, short stories ranging from those with a psychological horror twist to the whimsical stories she loves. At present she is working on a novel in the fantasy genre which she hopes to complete soon.
Sandra hosts coffee and talks about using Scrivener as a tool to help writers keep track of your characters, scenes and combines all the tools you need to create your novel.
Della Galton
Della Galton runs our first workshop of the week; Writing Short Stories.
Della is a bestselling novelist, short story writer and journalist with over 30 years’ experience and over 2000 short stories published.
She was the agony aunt for Writers’ Forum magazine and is a qualified Adult Education tutor.
Her novels are published by Boldwood. For more information about Della see www.dellagalton.co.uk
Free tickets for Della’s workshop can be booked here
Francesca Tyer
Francesca Tyer is a Salisbury-based young adult fantasy author and founder of the Untold Stories Academy, a business through which she offers creative writing workshops, professional editing support, and 1-2-1 mentoring sessions. She works with schools, businesses and individual clients, building community connections inspiring writers to unlock their imaginations and find their inner voice. Her mission is to empower her clients to connect with their creative selves.
To date, Francesca’s published works include The Firestone, The Seastone and The Earthstone (The Elemental Prophesy series). The fourth and final instalment, The Skystone, is due for release in Spring 2025.
Instagram: @untoldstoriesacademy and @francescatyerauthor
Virginia Moffatt
Virginia Moffatt closes our first day with her talk ‘Imagining the Future and how to make it believable’.
Virginia is a writer of fiction and non fiction, whose published works include novels Echo Hall (Unbound, 2017) and The Wave (Harper One More Chapter, 2019) and a flash fiction collection Rapture and What Comes After (2014 Gumbo Press). She is a member of the Breakthrough Books Collective, contributing to three short story collections since 2023. She and her twin sister Julia have recently started Gemina, a Substack to show case their work where she has been posting her latest flash fiction collection Telling the Bees. Virginia lives in Shaftesbury with her husband Chris. She enjoyed taking part in Fiction for Fun 2023, and writing flash fiction to order as part of the Shaftesbury Fringe 2023. She is a keen supporter of the Lido, enjoying cold water swimming there and at the sea, loves walking with the Tuesday Shaftesbury Walking Group.and is a member of Shaftesbury Women in Black.
Friday 4 April
Kathy Morgan
Kathy Morgan opens our second morning with a look at getting books on Audible.
Kathy lives and works in the Shaftesbury area, and can often be seen with her horses and dogs exploring the local lanes and tracks. Her writing journey began ten years ago when she was recovering from an injury caused in her horses’ field in the Donheads just before she was due to drive up to Lincolnshire for an antiques fair. As a result she couldn’t drive or ride her horses for several weeks, and she had a lot of spare time on her hands and so she wrote about them instead. Her family and friends approved of the first book, and now she is the proud author of eight fiction books. All of Kathy’s books are available in paperback, seven of them are also e-books, and one has been published as an audiobook.
Kathy Morgan’s latest book, Field Murder, is based in Shaftesbury, and is the first in the Yvonne Parker Mystery series.
Find out more about Kathy from her website https://www.kathymorganbooks.com/
Liz Foster
I was brought up in Leicester in the Midlands and studied American history and literature at Hull University before training to be a social worker and Probation Officer. I spent most of my working life in these professions until I retired. I then worked as a receptionist in a doctor’s surgery for a couple of years before deciding the time had come to give up paid employment for good and concentrate on writing!
I started writing after attending a course in my fifties and have been creating stories ever since. I began attending a writing group about twenty years ago, the object of which was to write a novel. Since then I have written four novels but only recently decided to publish them. My first novel, Be My Baby, was published on line in December and has just come out as a paperback on Amazon. It has been very exciting for me to see my work published and I now can’t wait to publish the others! Recently I began writing stories and reading them out on our local radio station.
My experiences during my working life have inspired many of my characters and their situations and I remain hugely interested in ordinary people and the problems we need to overcome in our lives. Two years ago my husband and I moved to live in Shaftesbury, to be close to my daughter and her family and have very much enjoyed the experience of living here.
Francesca Tyer
Rik Lonsdale
Rik Lonsdale’s lifelong desire to write had been held in check through three previous careers and the raising of children. Eventually he was able to turn his energies to learning the art and craft of writing.
“Water and Blood”, his first novel published in March 2023, was inspired by his concern for the future of civilisation and the human race.
“Morsels of Life”, his first collection of short stories, shares his love of people, their humour, and humanity and was published in November 2023.
“Hotel”, a novella, was published in July 2024 and explores the transactional nature of relationships.
The stage play “Vintage”, Rik’s first collaboration (with John Nash), will be published during the Fiction for Fun event in April 2025.
When Rik isn’t writing you can probably find him at the bottom of his garden tending his vegetable plot.
If you would like to know more about Rik and his writing journey you can find him at www.riklonsdale.com or on social media.
Tracey Lewis
Tracey was founder of publishing company, Igloo Books. Launched in 2003.
At Igloo she received several awards including “The Fast Track Award” for the 68th fastest growing UK company, inclusion in “The Who’s Who in Business” and the award for “Outstanding Achievement in International Trade” in the Queens award for enterprise 2011.
Her previous professional career included working for the Panel Macmillan the fifth largest UK publishing company in various sales, managerial and administrative roles for seventeen years. She lives in Dorset with Mr Bingley.
Kirsty Crawford known also as the writer Lulu Taylor
Kirsty Crawford worked in publishing as a commissioning editor of fiction for over ten years at Headline, Hodder, Orion and Random House, becoming Publishing Director of William Heinemann. She commissioned first novels from Santa Montefiore and Louise Candlish, among others, and edited many successful authors. After becoming a freelance editor and writer, she turned her hand to fiction and, under the name Lulu Taylor, she is a Sunday Time bestselling author of fourteen novels. She lives in Dorset.
Natasha Solomons
Natasha Solomons is the New York Times bestselling and prize nominated author of nine novels and her work has been translated into seventeen languages, and featured in the Richard and Judy Bookclub. Natasha lives in Dorset with her children. She also works as a playwright and screenwriter. Her latest novel, Cleopatra, is out this May.
Saturday 5 April
Ted Winter
Ted Winter taught French, German and Spanish for 27 years before taking up writing. He had two A level study guides published before the lure of light-hearted fiction proved irresistible. His three novels to date The Enigma of Four, To the End of the World … and Beyond and The Curious Pathways of Persistence have all been published by Olympia. When not writing, Ted enjoys travelling, country walks and tennis. He lives in Dorset.
Orlando Murrin
Orlando Murrin joins us on Saturday afternoon to talk about how he turned his passion for cooking into best selling crime fiction.
After being flung into the culinary limelight as a semi-finalist on Masterchef, Orlando Murrin edited Woman and Home, BBC Good Food and founded Olive magazine; then he switched track to become a chef-hotelier in SW France and Somerset.
He has written six cookbooks and received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Guild of Food Writers, its highest accolade. A popular guest on TV and radio, and at food and literary festivals, he is also a regular podcaster and podcast host.
From his grandfather, a Met detective who rose to become a crack MI5 interrogator, he inherited a fascination with crime and mystery. He lives in domestic bliss in Exeter, Devon, and has written two culinary crime novels: Knife Skills For Beginners (shortlisted for the McDermid Debut and Crime Fiction Lover Debut Awards) and Murder Below Deck.
Jeanette Hardiman and Jackie Spiteri
Friends and cousins Jeanette Hardiman and Jackie Spiteri grew up in the neighbouring North Dorset villages of Fontmell Magna and Compton Abbas in the 60s and 70s, attending the same schools and many family events. Jeanette’s father, Raymond and Jackie’s mother, Winifred were siblings.
Jackie worked for more than 25 years as a journalist and sub-editor for local publication the Blackmore Vale Magazine and now works as a freelance ghost writer.
Jeanette’s 38-year career in the finance sector included experience of marketing and communications. She’s now involved in a number of voluntary organisations.
In 1979 both girls moved away from the area, returning in later years. Jackie now lives in Marnhull and Jeanette in Shaftesbury.
Their book, Two Grow Up in Dorset, details the cousins’ memories from childhood through to starting work.
Did you grow up in the 60s and 70s? Remember a life far removed from today’s fast-paced, digital world? If the answer is yes, then Two Grow Up In Dorset will transport you back to those simpler times.
Based on a series of well-received ‘in conversation’ podcasts and radio broadcasts, cousins Jeanette Hardiman and Jackie Spiteri bring together the best of their ‘ramblings’ along with many evocative photographs and archive images.
From school milk to Maypole dancing, miniskirts to mini cars, their reminiscences cover a wide range of subjects such as pop music, TV and film, food and fashion, shopping, school days, social and cultural change.
Although the cousins spent their childhoods in neighbouring Dorset villages, much of the content touches on the social changes affecting many people in Great Britain in the 60s and 70s and will appeal to ‘baby boomers’ everywhere who grew up during those momentous decades.
Greg Duncan
Greg Duncan joins us on Saturday evening to talk about his research for his latest novel.
Born in Scotland, raised in Canada and now living in England, Greg Duncan’s past included far too many years writing non-fiction and cajoling computers into doing the impossible. Since retiring he decided to return to his interest in creative writing including plays, poetry and short stories. One of the dramas in his book of short plays won awards for script and entertainment. All of his books are available via Amazon. He has recently published “Champagne in a Broken Teacup” a historical novel inspired by the activities of his French aunt who was a forger and fighter in the French Resistance during WW2. In his talk on Saturday he will be explaining how he researched the historical setting for this novel and will be describing and illustrating some of the fascinating and unexpected facts he discovered.
Details on all of his books can be seen at https://www.kenebec.com
Sharon Cook
Sharon Cook is a former news journalist who now writes books. Last year ‘Sewing Sequins on My Straight Jacket’ was indie published: it went straight to number one, and has remained in the Amazon best seller charts ever since. Not too shabby for a (funny) memoir about childhood cancer… The reviews have made the author cry, and laugh!
Sharon skidded to a halt in the West Country some years ago, with two young children in tow, (yes, her own) who have since morphed into young adults. They’ve had quite a few adventures, some more fulfilling than others, but have always, eventually, been able to return to their seventeenth century stone cottage.
One day Sharon plans to write novels full time, rather than working in prison libraries, running creative workshops or perfecting the art of rejection by literary agents. Collecting vintage and coaxing her camper van out of its parking spot keep Sharon out of trouble – mostly. In times of deep stress, she makes chutney and fruit liqueurs. The cupboards are often full. The rest of the time she can be found hanging around literary festivals, or working with a blue light charity, where inspiring people and stories are never far away.
Sunday 6 April
Tony Horne
Tony was born in July 1971 in Chessington, Surrey. In 1989, he arrived in Exeter to read French and Italian.
On day one at university, he walked into University Radio Exeter and that became his home until (the now defunct) Devonair and its sister, Plymouth Sound offered him their evening show in 1991.
Graduating in 1993, including a year spent at the University of Rome and of Padua, Devonair’s parent company GWR persuaded him to ditch his plans and move to Wiltshire to front their breakfast show.
By 1996, he was at Metro Radio in the Northeast of England, then Century across the North West in 2000, only to return to Metro in 2004 for seven more years.
Between 2004 and 2011, his writing career was established as a columnist for the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle upon Tyne and as a ghost, finding himself right at the heart of the PC David Rathband (Raoul Moat) story with Tango 190 – the best-seller at the time, for the publisher, Biteback. Later he detailed The Moors Murders story for Terry West, the brother of his sister, and one of the victims, Lesley Ann Downey in his memoir If Only.
He specialises in True Crime but prides himself on his versatility, writing for a former World Darts Number One, undercover cops, business gurus and gaslighting victims, talent show winners including Steve Brookstein from the first X Factor, and major recording artists, illegal immigrants, the terminally ill, bodyguards, Paul Dadge, phone-hacking victim andone of the initial first responders at 7/7 plus an MP.
He promises to share with you the secrets of a ghostwriter.
His website is www.SecretsOfAGhostwriter.com
James Long
James Long spent twenty years travelling the world as a reporter for the BBC before he felt experienced enough to do what he always wanted since he was 5 years old. He wrote four thrillers for Penguin, fuelled by his stranger experiences in TV news, before feeling he was finally ready to write the novel which had grown in his head for a very long time.
That novel was ‘Ferney,’ published in 1997 by Harper Collins and set in the village of Penselwood, only seven miles northwest of Shaftesbury. It has been in print ever since, these days with Simon & Schuster, along with its sequel ‘The Lives She Left Behind.’ James plans to start the final book of that triology later this year. His 14th novel, ‘The Pepys Conspiracy’ will be published by Simon& Schuster in September.
In addition James has ghost-written two books, dabbled in theatre and TV drama and co-written historical non-fiction for Faber & Faber. He is currently experiencing the fragile insecurity of film deals.
He also has long experience leading creative writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and others. He loves helping writers discover their writing voice, find the fuel for story-telling within their own experience and ensure that their words never bore a reader.
Rik Lonsdale
Rik Lonsdale’s lifelong desire to write had been held in check through three previous careers and the raising of children. Eventually he was able to turn his energies to learning the art and craft of writing.
“Water and Blood”, his first novel published in March 2023, was inspired by his concern for the future of civilisation and the human race.
“Morsels of Life”, his first collection of short stories, shares his love of people, their humour, and humanity and was published in November 2023.
“Hotel”, a novella, was published in July 2024 and explores the transactional nature of relationships.
The stage play “Vintage”, Rik’s first collaboration (with John Nash), will be published during the Fiction for Fun event in April 2025.
When Rik isn’t writing you can probably find him at the bottom of his garden tending his vegetable plot.
If you would like to know more about Rik and his writing journey you can find him at www.riklonsdale.com or on social media.
Martin J Lake
Martin J Lake was born in Southampton and now lives in Dorset, England, with his wife. He has had to juggle his passion for writing with family life and a career in IT. A fascination with Arthurian legends and Norse mythology, combined with a love of fantasy fiction provided the inspiration for this book.
Beyond the Stones is his debut novel.
Simon Jacobs
‘To give you a summary my name is Simon Jacobs, and I’m married to Lisa, and we have three grown up children. We live in Devizes, Wiltshire. I had my first regression in 1994 with the late Judy Hall who wrote ‘Deja Who? A New Look At Past Lives’ (1998) and ‘The Book of Why, Understanding your Soul’s Journey’ (2010) both included accounts of my past life story. I first became aware of past lives and reincarnation in early 1988 when I was serving in the Household Cavalry and it has been quite a journey culminating in the publication early in 2023 in firstly The Netherlands and Norway and then the UK, of ‘Wait For Me’ by Santa Montefiore. This was very much a collaborative effort with Santa ‘wrapping’ a novel around my true story. She has done a beautiful job of it and I’m incredible proud of what we’ve achieved. This has always been about helping to bring reincarnation back into the mainstream. The paperback edition was launched early in April ’24 and in June ’24 we made it to no 6 in the Sunday Times best seller list for fiction.’
Fiction for Fun 