Local Authors Launch Literary Festival

Three Guernsey writers began the 2023 Guernsey Literary Festival with a talk about what inspires them, and how to get published.

The 2023 Guernsey Literary Festival is underway, and once again there are big names, like the broadcasters Jon Snow and David Dimbleby and the lexicographer Susie Dent, to draw the crowds over the coming 12 days.

Three local authors got the festival going with a Q&A session at the Guille Alles library last night,(2 May).

Mya Roberts, Jill Chadwick and Nick Rowe were questioned by writer and Festival committee member Nick Le Messurier on what inspires them to write, and how to get published.

Mya Roberts was on holiday in Nova Scotia in Canada when, by chance, she found a place called Jerseyman Island, which was the setting for the spark that set off the American Revolutionary War.

Among the cannon and the history of rape and pillage, she knew she had a story with local connections that had to be written, which she titled 'Song of the Sea'.

"When you're writing a book, it's somewhere really special to go in your head. And you take it away in your head as well. I go swimming and I've solved all sorts of problems while I'm swimming, like how do I get this character from here to here." 

Mya says she goes against the general advice to 'get it all down at once' and tends to write a couple of chapters then refine and edit them.

Mya Roberts signing copies of her book

Jill Chadwick, who has had one novel, 'Travelling Light' published and has written a second, is searching for a publisher. Nick Le Messurier's advice was don't get upset by the rejection emails and keep going.

Jill says she finds the writing easy, but the rewrites and social media promotional posts come less naturally to her. She says real life is her inspiration:

"The latest book is about a choir and I help run a choir, although it's not based on anyone in the choir. But it's about people and life and what happens to us. There are stories everywhere around us and I just draw from that."

Nick Rowe is a poet who draws inspiration from nature and he publishes his work online, with the words and stanzas framed by images like windswept Guernsey beaches and stormy seas. Nick's work is very firmly rooted in the digital age:

"I use a tool called Buffer so you can publish to several social media channels with pictures and hyperlinks to the blog. For the online book itself I had to learn a lot of photo software, and then I wrote pages on my blog about the book itself."

The Guernsey Literary Festival continues with talks and events until the middle of May.