Whether you’re on the first page or first draft, writing a novel is a marathon not a sprint. It takes stamina, self belief and self care. Discover when to dig deep, how to beat a blank page and above all, what it takes to keep going until the very end. Our panel includes award winners and the director of the UK’s longest running consultancy for writers.

LARA HOWARTH: Shortlisted for the Nero Prize

Lara’s debut novel, Monumenta, was published by Canongate in July 2024 and shortlisted for a Nero Prize. Recipient of a Bridport Prize and a Café Writers Award in 2022, her poetry and short fiction have appeared in Extra Extra, Field, ACME and Feels. Her first film, All the People I Hurt with My Wedding, won best LGBT film at the Athens International Film Festival and her second, Grief is a Hungry Ghost, has premiered at festivals including Japan International, New York Tri-State and Munich New Wave.

AKI SCHILZ: Director, The Literary Consultancy

Aki is Director of The Literary Consultancy, the UK's longest-running consultancy for writers offering editing, mentoring and events. Aki has featured in the Bookseller 150, a list of the most influential figures in UK publishing, twice. She is the Founder of the #BookJobTransparency campaign and has been recognised by the Kim Scott Walwyn and h100 awards for her work to improve representation and accessibility in the literature sector. In 2023, Aki was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature for her contributions to literature.

Joe’s debut novel A Bad Decade for Good People was released by Parthian Books in 2023. His short stories have been published widely, including in 3:AM, Litro and Structo, and have won numerous awards including The Bridport Prize 2024 and the Leicester Writes Prize 2023.

Run by international creative writing competition The Bridport Prize. Previous winners include Kate Atkinson and Kit de Waal. Discover more at www.bridportprize.org.uk

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bridportprize.org.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CJonty%40bridport-arts.com%7Cd572f5f5b0d144b0760808dd12ea2ba4%7Ca963490b763a41bc83b0f2621aabf2b6%7C0%7C0%7C638687519150207099%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v31V2sgrUh18e90aZ1Z0R%2F9Hhzbnt6FE0sDrsCZMpz0%3D&reserved=0

Writing your novel from start to finish