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Live online webinars
Top writing professionals to help you improve and progress your writing journey
We've curated an amazing line-up of speakers that will inspire you to write and understand what goes on behind-the-scenes of the writing world. Award-winning authors, literary agents, and writing academics are here to give you advice and expertise to help you with your writing journey.
All online webinars are on Zoom and take place on a Monday at 7pm.
They will be recorded so if you miss the session you can still view it.
Cover Letter Critique
7pm, Monday 23rd November 2026.
With literary agent Megan Carroll from Watson, Little
You’ve poured months - or years - into your book, but your cover letter is the key that opens an agent's inbox. Join top literary agent Megan Carroll (Watson, Little) to learn exactly what makes an agent stop, read, and request a manuscript.
Send in your cover letter and Megan will discuss what works and what doesn't through live, constructively critiqued examples on screen. Or bring your own burning publishing questions for Megan to answer live.
Once you've booked your ticket, send your cover letter or questions to info@bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk. If your cover letter is chosen to be shown for the examples, we will contact you in advance.
Book an individual ticket for this webinar for £15 here.
Or this webinar is included in the Online Festival Ticket and the Access All Areas Ticket, available here.
The session will be recorded and available to view after the webinar on any of the above ticket purchases.
Writing Compelling Characters
7pm, Monday 7th December 2026.
With Franceseco Sarti
Craft characters your readers will fall in love with - or love to hate.
Plot gets your story moving, but characters are why readers care. Join author and creative writing teacher Francesco Sarti to discover how to build layered, authentic characters that drive your narrative and linger in readers' minds long after the final page.
Understand motivations, backstories and internal conflict to make your characters believable and irresistible.
Once you've booked your ticket, send in your questions to Francesco to answer live on the webinar.
Book an individual ticket for this webinar for £15 here.
Or this webinar is included in the Online Festival Ticket and the Access All Areas Ticket, available here.
Writing from Real Life
7pm, Monday 11th January 2027.
With Sue Pickford Cheung
Using your life experiences to write authentic stories.
The best stories - whether fiction, memoir or creative non-fiction - feel authentic, real and resonate with your reader. But how do you take actual life events, personal history and personal observations and share them into engaging narrative arcs without getting stuck on literal facts?
In this online webinar, award-winning author and illustrator Sue Pickford Cheung explores how writers of all genres can tap into their lived experiences to elevate their writing.
Once you've booked your ticket, send in your questions to Sue to answer live on the webinar.
Book an individual ticket for this webinar for £15 here.
Or this webinar is included in the Online Festival Ticket and the Access All Areas Ticket, available here.
Hooking your Readers
7pm, Monday 8th February 2027.
With Bradford Gyori
Whether you are writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, your opening pages must hook the reader immediately.
Join Emmy-award nominated, writer, author and Bournemouth University's Principal Academic in Digital Storytelling on the MA Creative Writing & Publishing course, Bradford Gyori, for a deep dive into the mechanics of compelling openers.
Learn how to establish narrative arc, introduce tension instantly with an inciting incident and structure your first chapter to leave readers desperate to turn the first page.
Once you've booked your ticket, send in your questions to Bradford to answer live on the webinar.
Book an individual ticket for this webinar for £15 here.
Or this webinar is included in the Online Festival Ticket and the Access All Areas Ticket, available here.
Our Speakers
Megan Carroll
Literary Agent
Megan Carroll is a literary agent with over a decade of experience in the industry. She has been working at Watson, Little Ltd since 2014, first as an assistant and now as a full-time agent.
Francesco Sarti
Author, Teacher and Speaker
Public Speaker and Author of poetry, short fiction and novels, published in both Italian and English.
He is an author of (mainly) speculative fiction represented by Justin Nash at Kate Nash Literary Agency and a creative writing teacher.
Sue Cheung
Award-winning author
Sue Pickford Cheung is a multi-award winning author and illustrator of books for young people of all ages.
Her award-winning memoir, Chinglish, is currently being adapted for the television.
Bradford Gyori
Author and academic at Bournemouth University
Dr Bradford Gyori has led the Creative Writing & Publishing MA at Bournemouth University, is the Editor in Chief of the Bournemouth Journal and Principal Academic in Digital Storytelling.
His television work earned him an Emmy-nomination and has published Creating the Interactive Digital Narrative through Bloomsbury.