Ever wanted to have your own world? Where you choose how everything works, who lives there what their lives are like? Now you can, in a literary sense, of course.
This session is designed to allow you the freedom of creation itself. Choose from one of the many planets within a solar system and let your imagination run wild. What do the landmasses look like? Where is the capital city? Who lives in a world like this?
You will explore the different aspects that affect planetary life, the considerations of the world you live on, and the effects of potential catastrophes that could befall your world.
This session - which is organised by the CCCU Creative Writing Society - is for writers and illustrators and is open to both adults and children.
The Bookie Slam is back for round two.
Ten top poets join MC Connor Sansby to battle it out for The Kentish Poetry Championship and the coveted Margate Bookie belt. Expect some boundary-breaking word wizardry, a hearty dose of punning, and the odd double-, triple-, or even quadruple-entendre.
And who could possibly headline such a huge fixture in Margate's social calendar? Step into the ring, Mr Dean Atta!
From 10:30am until 11:15am drop into the Foyle Room at Turner Contemporary to view Ofrendas a short film made by artist Elspeth (Billie) Penfold in collaboration with the filmmaker Anna Bowman.
The word ‘ofrenda’ means offering in Spanish. The film introduces the ofrendas which have been made by selected artists as a response to four writers who are appearing at the Bookie – Jess Kidd, Elise Valmorbida, PJ Whiteley and Owen Lowery. The film will also show the objects gratefully received from the authors during the process of making the shrines.
At 11.30am join Elspeth and the artists group Thread and Word for a creative walk which draws inspiration from Dee Heddon’s walking libraries and the book Home Altars of New Mexico. At selected spots in Margate, books will be introduced, and small shrines that express our enjoyment of the books will be assembled and marked with offerings by participating artists. These shrines will be temporary and will be assembled, photographed and taken down as part of the walk.
The walk will last for an hour and a half and is mostly on flat terrain. We can also provide details of locations on the day should you wish to join us for part of the walk.
The walk is free but must be booked in advance as there is a limit on numbers. Book your tickets today.
Bookie Slam headliner Dean Atta presents a poetry workshop designed to help you find and hone your voice and style in an open, supportive environment.
In this explorative workshop you will discover what makes your voice distinct, as well as how your style can be inspired and influenced by others. Suitable for all levels, from beginners right through to experienced writers.
Dean Atta is currently a judge of the 2018 BBC Young Writers’ Award.
Meet three writers whose books are about difficult dads, manipulative mums and the trials (and joys!) of being a second-generation immigrant.
Roopa Farooki discusses The Good Children, about a monstrous mother's browbeating her offspring into ‘ideal kids’.
Jess Kidd talks about the inspiration behind The Hoarder, set in a house collapsing under the weight of its terrible memories.
And Alice Fitzgerald tells us about Her Mother’s Daughter, a dark tale about how family deceit proves too much for one mother and her 10-year-old daughter.
Join us for readings, author questions and lots of talking.
Our good friends from Vanguard Editions join us for another show of awe-inspiring readings from specially selected novelists.
Our six debut novelists - Dan Dalton, Karen Hamilton, Jill Johnson, Asia Mackay, Lydia Ruffles and Helen Trevorrow - are all graduates of the Faber & Faber Novel Writing Academy, founded by Margate Bookie stalwart Richard Skinner.
They’ve all got book deals, so here’s your chance to hear them before they become superstars!
Vanguard Readings will once again be hosted by Adrian Cross.
Join children's author Tamara Rattigan for a delightfully gooey afternoon of slime-making and storytelling. Ideal for children aged 3-11.
This event is free but please book tickets for each adult and child to guarantee your place.
Grab your tickets today. 
Sathnam Sanghera’s hugely successful first book, The Boy With The Topknot, was adapted for BBC2 in November 2017. His latest novel, Marriage Material, tells the story of three generations of a family through the prism of a Wolverhampton corner shop. It’s an epic tale of family, love, and politics, told with humour and insight.
Join us to hear how Sathnam began writing and how his family have inspired him.
Award-winning author Irenosen Okojie leads this workshop on finding your voice.
Whether you're a beginner or struggle to write consistently, the workshop will set you on track through enjoyable exercises and mining your personal stories in a supportive atmosphere. It will develop your writing skills as well as build your confidence, leaving you feeling invigorated and full of ideas.
Described as "A liberatingly odd, seductive and fearless talent" (Laline Paull,The Bees), Irenosen has been published by The New York Times, the Observer, the Guardian, the Huffington Post and the BBC.
The Bookie launches a special scheme for local novelists. It’s a chance to get individual feedback from established authors including PJ Whiteley, Chloe Timms, Evalyn Lee, Alice Fitzgerald and Rose McGinty.
They’ll read the first 500 words of your novel and sit down with you to discuss your writing.
Email info@margatebookie.com to find out more.
Come and meet four authors who all dabble in darkness and have connections with Kent. They will thrill and chill you with their stories of what it is about this time of the day which brings out the darkness in people.
Panel leader Vicky Newham lives in Whitstable and writes crime fiction set in multi-cultural East London. She’s fascinated by why people do awful things. Vicky’s debut novel, Turn a Blind Eye draws on her psychology background.
Rachel Amphlett writes hugely successful spy and crime thrillers. Rachel’s Kent-based Detective Kay Hunter series provides fast-paced storylines that twist the procedural genre.
Anna Mazzola admits to being drawn to peculiar and dark historical subjects. Her novels explore the impact of crime and injustice. She’s a regular Bookie author and panellist.
Matthew Frank is also drawn to the dark as much of his writing is done at midnight. He lives in Tunbridge Wells and writes the critically acclaimed Joseph Stark series of novels, featuring an ex-soldier turned police detective in Greenwich.
Join us in the crepuscular glamour of Sands Hotel at 7.30pm on Saturday 29 September. Grab your tickets now.
Be swept away by children’s author and illustrator Dosh Archer’s infectious humour and love of a good yarn as she reads from her internationally acclaimed Urgency Emergency! series.
This event is free but please book tickets for each adult and child to guarantee your place. Grab your tickets today.
Spend an hour with a masterful editor - John Tague, Managing Editor of Griffith Review, Australia's leading literary quarterly - and he will make your prose shine!
Learn what makes a submission stand out from the slush pile and the mistakes that will get you rejected. Note that this session is limited to 15 places.
To guarantee individual feedback, please bring a piece for John to look at. No more than 500 words, or we’ll have to charge you more…
Explore the links between the science of happiness and the art of creative writing.
Vanessa King and Elise Valmorbida present the latest instalment in their Wellbeing and Creative Writing workshops. Following on from their previous sessions at the Sands, these two experienced facilitators will help you free your imagination to write!
Poet Owen Lowery was a British Judo champion who suffered a spinal injury while competing and is now tetraplegic. Transitions is an immersive multimedia poetry event in which Owen uses his personal experience as a jumping off point for the exploration of physical and natural transformation.
Switching deftly between his own transition from able-bodied sports star to disabled poet, and broader themes such as climate change, metamorphosis, migration and evolution, Owen creates an experience that is all-inclusive.
We're delighted Owen will be introduced by local novelist Chloe Timms.
From Eve's fig leaf to Hilary Clinton's pant-suit, the way we dress can carry layer upon layer of meaning.
Fashion historian and author, Amber Butchart, will talk about best-dressed figures in history, from Cleopatra to Beyoncé, Joan of Arc to RuPaul. Some have influenced the fashion of today, while others have used their clothing to change the world. But all have a sartorial story to tell.
Hosted by Bryony Bishop of Bee’s Bookshare, come and hear Elise Valmorbida discuss and read from her latest novel, The Madonna of the Mountains.
Set in the Veneto in Italy following the First World War, it is a fierce, sharply observed account of a woman’s fight to keep her family alive and thriving.
"Madonna of the Mountains is an amazing, uplifting book and I’m overjoyed that Elise is coming to talk to our group about what inspired her to write it, and for booksharers to get a first-hand opportunity to discuss what they loved about the book and her writing. I'm super excited to partner with the brilliant Bookie to host this special author bookshare event with Elise - it promises to be riveting!" says Bryony."
This event is free but please book tickets to guarantee your place.
