New Publishers with Chris Plato

Who I amI was born in South London, but let’s try not to hold that against me. After living in a variety of countries, I settled in Margate where the locals call me a ‘DFL’ – Down From London. (When I first heard the term, I thought it was the name of the local bus […]

The Open Arms Zine with Nina Telegina

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before her reading, we chat with Nina Telegina about her Zine journey and how it led her to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

The Open Arms Zine with Melissa Todd

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before her reading, we chat with Melissa Todd about her Zine journey and how it led her to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

The Open Arms Zine with Pauline Holmes

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before her reading, we chat with Pauline Holmes about her Zine journey and how it led her to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

The Open Arms Zine with Craig Brown

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before his reading, we chat with Craig Brown about his Zine journey and how it led him to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

The Open Arms Zine with Ann Lloyd

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before her reading, we chat with Ann Lloyd about her Zine journey and how it led her to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

The Open Arms Zine with Amanda Jones

As we wind down from The Open Arms Zine Live Launch at the June Bookie and start reeling up to the next, we’re catching up with our amazing readers. Interviewed before her reading, we chat with Amanda Jones about her Zine journey and how it led her to the Live Launch. How did you find […]

Welcome to The Open Arms

‘And here we are. So, who ordered the special?’ The Open Arms has opened its doors, taken your order, and now ready to serve. Welcome to our third Zine, an immense selection of great creative pieces from across the globe. With poems and prose from the UK, US, Europe, Asia and beyond, along with works […]

Vanguard Readings with Adrian Cross

Vanguard Readings is delighted to be invited once again to run an event at the Margate Bookie. We have held events for the Bookie every year and we are honoured to take part! This year, we are proud to present some of the latest cohort of Faber Academy debut novelists. Readers are on alphabetically, reading for around 10 minutes each. Readings start at 3:30pm. Free entry, all welcome. Hosted by Adrian Cross, the readers are: Giles Fraser, Laura Price, Rosalind Russell, Hannah Tovey and Susannah Wise. Adrian lives in London and loves Margate. He works in an advisory role with children in care and writes for the Times Educational Supplement and does live music reviews for Gigwise. He was a runner up in The Guardian’s Travel Writing Competition and his fiction has appeared in Dreamcatcher and Unthology 7. A philosophy grad, he’s also completed the MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College. He co-edited the #1 Vanguard Readings Short Story Anthology and is currently working on two novels; an urban comic thriller and a slice of fen noir. He’s a regular compere at the Margate Bookie and enjoys a tipple. Vanguard Readings, founded in 2011, is a platform for new writers & established authors to perform their work. Vanguard Editions, founded in 2014, is a specialist press with a commitment to diversity in writing and a strong visual identity.

It wouldn’t be Bookie without Vanguard. We’re so glad that year on year, they return to bring their incredible readings to our lit fest. We catch up with Adrian Cross, Bookie trustee and Vanguard host, to chat about what went on in his Vanguard Readings session at the June Bookie.           […]

Outsiders Welcome with Elise Valmorbida

Elise Valmorbida

We love having Elise Valmorbida at our lit fests, as she always brings something new and dynamic to the festival. The Outsiders Welcome creative writing workshop we had at our June Bookie was no exception. Margate Bookie chats with her about The Happy Writing Book and her event with us.           […]