The annual Surrey New Writers Festival returns to G Live in Guildford on Saturday 14 March for the eighth year running, for a one-day event brimming with new content from emerging and established writers.

Run by the University of Surrey’s School of Literature and Languages in conjunction with G Live, the theme for this year’s festival is Fact and Fiction. The day will include taster sessions, talks, readings and genre-focused workshops that will cover poetry and life writing, penning sizzling sex scenes, and creative nonfiction.

Talks will explore how contemporary writers are engaging with current and historical facts in their fiction, as well as where the boundary lies between fiction and fact when writers tell the ‘truths’ about their lives and experiences.

This year’s headline reader is David Grange, author of The Frayed Atlantic Edge: A Historian’s Journey from Shetland to the Chanel (2019). David will be joined by the School’s masterclass leaders, Professor Andy Brown and Dr Beth Miller. Andy will be discussing how writers have used short prose anecdotes to capture fragments of experience in ‘Poetry and the Life of Writing’, whilst Beth will discuss ‘Writing Sizzling Sex Scenes’, drawing from her own novels as well as her previous experience as a sexual health trainer.

There will be many more talks and workshops during the day from emerging talent, including ‘Getting started with creative nonfiction’, ‘Read to me: giving voice to your work’, and ‘Writing for wellbeing.’

Dr Liz Bahs, Festival Director, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming our readers and presenters for this year. It’s a packed line-up with themes that touch on so many aspects of our current world. We’d love for you to join us!”

Devotees of prose and poetry are invited for all or part of the day to listen, discuss, and meet the authors. Lunch and wine receptions are included in the ticket price, which starts at £20. There is also the additional option to book a place on a limited-ticket masterclass, which are expected to sell out well in advance.

Professor Bran Nicol, Head of the School of Literature and Languages, said: “The festival has gone from strength to strength since it was launched in 2013 and provides a valuable platform for new writers to learn about the industry and discuss their work. It is also a fantastic place to network with other writers and a range of industry professionals.”

Click HERE to find out more about Surrey New Writers Festival 2020 and book your tickets.

Find out more about the University of Surrey’s English literature and creative writing courses.