English author of feelgood contemporary popular fiction including two cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Sayers and the Gemma Lamb series.
Novels published by Boldwood Books, all other books by Hawkesbury Press.
Represented by Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agents.
Founder and director of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival.
Course tutor for Jericho Writers.
UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Member of the Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Lives and writes in her Victorian cottage in the heart of the beautiful Cotswold countryside.
The first Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival event will take place on Saturday 27t April from 10.30am until pm in the beautiful, historic parish church of St Mary the Virgin – a highly atmospheric setting for this event’s theme, A Sense of Place.
The programme will address the theme from many different angles, with talks by the following authors:
Tiggy Greenwood, author of a children’s trilogy of novels, starting with The Holder of Annanbourne
Felice Hardy, travel writer and author of family biography The Tennis Champion Who Fled the Nazis
Stephen Oram, author of near-future speculative fiction
Lisa Overton, author & art historian
Bill Wood, undertaker and author of “An Odd Undertaking”
Mark Rutterford, performing a story he has written especially for the occasion
Plus there’ll be readings of poetry and prose by the ever-popular Gerard Boyce.
The event will be chaired by HULF Founder and Director Debbie Young, who will combine this fascinating line-up into a coherent whole.
VENUE
Our venue, the beautiful ancient parish church of St Mary the Virgin, may be chilly, so please wrap up warm. Seating is on antique wooden church pews – feel free to bring a cushion! Free parking available in the adjacent field. Please leave the hardstanding in front of the church free for those with limited mobility.
REFRESHMENTS
Tea, coffee and cake are included in the ticket price. Savoury food such as soup and sandwiches will be on sale for lunch during the break at 1pm.
BOOK SALES
A £2 book voucher is included with the ticket, valid at the event. All our speakers give their time for free, so please make the most of your voucher to support them by buying their books! A book stall manned by the authors will be open before and after the talks and during the breaks.
Please note advance booking is essential to ensure we have plenty of cake for all!
Our venue: the historic parish church of St Mary the Virgin, which predates the Domesday Book
This event will be dedicated to the memory of Clare Weiner, who wrote as Mari Howard, a fervent supporter of HULF from its founding in 2015, and a frequent speaker and reader at past events.
at the Bethesda Chapel, Park Street, Hawkesbury Upton GL9 1BA
Our next HULF Talk will be a celebration of Christmas stories and poems, with
readings from favourite seasonal poetry and prose, such as an extract from Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Robert Frost’s On Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by the ever-popular readers Gerard Boyce and Michael Macmahon
Robert Louis Stevenson‘s thoughts on Christmas, presented by historical novelist Ali Bacon
an introduction to a Sicilian Christmas by romantic novelist Stefania Hartley
an interview with cosy mystery author Kat Ailes, because everyone needs a cosy book to read at Christmas
a festive short story performed by author Mark Rutterford
armchair travel courtesy of wildlife documentary maker John Ruthven, author of The Whale in Your Living Room, andHimalayan travel guide Steve Berry, author of Straight Up
readings from their books for children by local authors Tiggy Greenwood, Betty Salthouse, and Marie Whitehead
top tips for dealing with self-care at Christmas by Alice Rosewell, author of A Little Book of Encouragement
timely advice for dealing with post-Christmas debt from Michael Macmahon, author of Back to the Black
seasonal thoughts from the Reverend Trevor Stubbs
The event will include a pop-up shop selling signed copies of the guest authors’ books, which make great Christmas presents for all the family!
As ever, the ticket price of £5 includes coffee, tea and cake, plus a £2 book voucher valid at the event.
The first HULF Talk of 2023 will be a new departure for us: an all-day event at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Hawkesbury, situated in the delightful ancient hamlet just down the hill from Farm Pool, Hawkesbury Upton.
All profits from the day will be donated to the Friends of St Mary’s, which exists to maintain this beautiful part of our local heritage for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
The event will be provide a wonderful assortment of talks and readings to celebrate the rich delights of English language and literature, including:
The Language of Bells A talk by Tower Captain Colin Dixon with readings by Bill Fairney, Michael Macmahon & Debbie Young
Jargon in Fiction 1) School Story Slang A talk by Debbie Young 2) Pugs, Bruisers & the Fancy: The Language of Pugilism A talk by Lucienne Boyce
Cracking Codes in the Second World War 1) The Enigma Machine – A talk byBill Fairney 2) The Colditz Code – A talk by Ian Macfadyen
Utter Nonsense! – Jabberwocky and other nonsense verse Readings and interpretations by Gerard Boyce
Putting Words in Other People’s Mouths A talk about the challenges of ghostwriting by professional ghostwriter John Lynch
How New Words Are Chosen for the Dictionary A talk by professional lexicographer Jennifer Hurd, from the Oxford English Dictionary
How Tyndale Enriched the English Language A talk tb Lisa Overton about William Tyndale, as influential as Shakespeare in the development of English
Lost in Translations A talk by Gerard Boyce with readings from Brian Friel’s play Translations
Setting Words to Music A conversation about lyrics with Ben Humphries, Music Director of Badminton Benefice
Ancient or Modern 1) Gadzookery or OK? – A conversation about historical novels with historical novelists Lucienne Boyce & Jean Burnett 2) Trespasses or Sins? – A conversation about the language of the liturgy with Rev Richard Thomson & Rev Trevor Stubbs
The Old Testament – Word of God or History Book? A talk by Tina Stubbs, author of Disowning the Violence
Brevity as the Soul or Wit Clever quotes & memorable mottos with Michael Macmahon
A calligraphy exhibition of pieces celebrating words and language
Chairing the afternoon will be HULF Director and local author Debbie Young.
REFRESHMENTS
As ever, tea, coffee, cake and biscuits will be included in the ticket price of £5 per head.
There will be a one-hour break for lunch when guests are welcome to picnic in the church and its grounds, and to enjoy the calligraphy exhibition.
An optional sit-down lunch of home-made quiche, salad, and fruit, served in the historic setting of the ancient Malthouse opposite the church, by kind courtesy of Lisa and Christopher Overton, will be bookable in advance for £10 per head. Wine and soft drinks will be available to buy on the day for a small extra charge. With just 30 seats available, early booking is advised.
PARKING
There will be ample free on-site parking in the adjacent field on the day.
Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival is a series of not-for-profit book-related events run by Debbie Young. This is a HULF Mini event. For more information about HULF, please visit www.hulitfest.com.
Our stunning venue: St Mary the Virgin, Hawkesbury – photo by Sir Ian Macfadyen
The final HULF Talk of 2022 will be a lighthearted Christmas special, featuring guest authors of books that make great Christmas presents for all the family, such as:
A A Abbott‘s Lies at Her Door, a crime thriller set in Bristol in which a dead body is discovered in a sinkhole that opens up in the middle of community carol singing
Steve Berry‘s memoir Straight Up! – Himalayan Tales of the Unexpected
Kate Frost‘s wintry romantic escape novel, The Amsterdam Affair
Michael Macmahon trio of books on three timely topics: how to get your bank balance into the black and keep it there, how to make effective wedding speeches, and memorable quotes (a great stocking-filler!)
Alice Rosewell with her Little Book of Encouragement
John Ruthven‘s The Whale in Your Living Room for everyone interested in wildlife documentaries
Betty Salthouse‘s delightful chapter books for children including Mother Koala Knows Best
Trevor Stubbs‘ novels for young adults, including his Flip! and White Gates trilogies and anthology Stardust
Debbie Young‘s Murder in the Manger and Sinister Stranger at St Bride’s, entertaining cosy mystery novels set in the run-up to Christmas
There will also be heartwarming readings from Christmas classics by our guest readers Gerard Boyce and Michael Macmahon.
Chairing the afternoon will be HULF Director Debbie Young.
Once the formal part of the programme is over, the authors will be pleased to sign and sell copies of books and to chat informally to members of the audience.
The ticket price of £5 includes coffee, tea, cakes and biscuits, plus a £2 discount voucher valid against a book bought at the event.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Capacity of our beautiful historic venue is limited, so advance booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival is a series of not-for-profit book-related events run by Debbie Young. This is a HULF Mini event. For more information about HULF, please visit www.hulitfest.com.
Join us on Saturday 29th October, 2-5pm, in the Bethesda Chapel, Park Street, Hawkesbury Upton for a fascinating and moving afternoon of talks about the impact of World War, with guest speakers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Ukraine, plus five authors of fiction and non-fiction inspired and informed by the First and Second World Wars, in the run-up to Remembrance Day.
The ticket price of £5 includes coffee, tea, cakes and biscuits, plus a £2 discount voucher valid against a book bought at the event.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Capacity of our beautiful historic venue is limited, so advance booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Bringing our conversation into the 21st century, Svitlana Rotayenko, who works for NATO, will speak on the context and effect of the current war in her home country, Ukraine.
Lucienne Boyce, author of The Bristol Suffragettes, willanswer the question “To what extent did the First World War play a part in bringing universal suffrage to women in the UK?”
Nigel Messenger, who has done extensive voluntary work with the Royal British Legion, will talk about his fact-based novel, The MichMash Miracles, set in two different eras, about an extraordinary case of First World War battle won using techniques learned from an Old Testament story.
Also blending fact with fiction, Hawkesbury author Will Fenn (aka Bill Fairney), will talk about the inspiration for his novel Uncle Walter’s Secret, a story of espionage.
Addressing the impact of the Second World War on civilians, and in particular on women, will be two best-selling historical novelists, Clare Flynn, whose The Chalky Sea is set in Eastbourne, and Lizzie Lane, whose Tobacco Girls series features workers at the famous Wills tobacco factory in Bristol.
There will follow ample time for questions for the audience, after which the authors will be pleased to sign and sell copies of books and to chat informally to members of the audience over coffee and cake.
Whether or not you’re planning to go away on holiday this summer, our next HULF Talk on 25th June will make you feel like you’ve travelled the world, as our three guest authors taking us through the pages of their novels to an A-Z of colourful destinations, from A(msterdam) to Z(anzibar).
Carol Cooper already had a string of non-fiction books to her name before turning to writing novels with vibrant settings and characters who don’t always do what they should. In her latest book, The Girls from Alexandria, Carol draws on her childhood in Egypt to recreate the bygone world of cosmopolitan Alexandria.
Kate Frostis the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including The Baobab Beach Retreat, The Greek Heart and The Amsterdam Affair. In 2021, she signed a six-book deal with Boldwood and has continued to write escapist fiction for them. One Greek Summer was published in March and An Italian Dream will be out on the 7th July.
Helena Halmewrites Nordic fiction with a hint of both Romance and Noir. Her latest series, Love on the Island, is set on the quirky and serenely beautiful Aland Islands, which lie in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden.
Tickets are now on sale via Eventbrite booking form here.
Tickets are limited to just 60, so book early to avoid disappointment!
We’re pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for our next HULF Talk on Holiday Reads on Saturday 25th June, when Debbie Young will be chairing a panel of three guest authors, Carol Cooper, Kate Frost and Helena Halme, whose novels are set around the world from A(msterdam) toZ(anzibar)! Who better to help you find your next best holiday read?
More details to follow soon, but as always, our venue capacity is just 60, so book early to secure a ticket! Here is the booking form to order yours now via Eventbrite, or open this link in a new browser window:
In the meantime, here are some photos from our April HULF Talk on Crime, Mystery & Thriller writing with AA Abbott, Lucienne Boyce, Valerie Keogh and Debbie Young. Below the photos are links to read the transcripts of Lucienne and Debbie’s talks on aspects of the history of crime writing on their respective author websites.
We were grateful, as ever, to the Bethesda Chapel for use of their venue, and we thank the Hawkesbury Parish News for kindly sponsoring the venue hire costs for this eventThe light and airy interior of the chapel makes it a pleasant and friendly settingWe always have a bit of fun with topical props to set the scene for our talksFrom left to right, back row: Lucienne Boyce & Debbie Young, front row: Valerie Keogh & A A Abbott
Transcripts of Talks on Crime Writing
Follow the links below to read the talks by Lucienne Boyce and Debbie Young, who have now posted the transcripts on their websites:
An entertaining afternoon of author talks, readings & discussions exploring the past, present & future of Crime, Thriller & Mystery books
Kindly sponsored by Hawkesbury Parish News
About this event
In the peaceful setting of Bethesda Chapel, spend a fascinating afternoon in the company of four authors of Crime, Thriller and Mystery novels.
Author and historian Lucienne Boyce willset the scene with a brief talk about the nine-teenth-century origins of the modern detective novel, including Wilkie Collins‘ trailblazing The Woman in White .
Debbie Young will provide insights into the Golden Age of Detective Fiction in the inter-war years, including Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie, who inspired her contemporary English village mysteries.
Fast forward to the present day, and A A Abbott and Valerie Keogh will discuss the development of the modern crime novel and the psychological thriller.
After the panel discussion of current trends and predictions for the future of this broad genre, there will be ample time for questions for the audience.
Once the formal part of the programme is over, the authors will be pleased to sign and sell copies of books and to chat informally to members of the audience over coffee and cake.
The ticket price of £5 includes coffee, tea, cakes and biscuits, plus a £2 discount voucher valid against a book bought at the event.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Capacity of our beautiful historic venue is limited, so advance booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Four successful novelists will lead a lively discussion about aspects of the romantic novel, including its past, present and future, and to what extent they view themselves as romantic novelists:
from nearby Charfield, Jayne Davis, who writes Georgian romances
from Bristol Kate Frost, who writes contemporary women’s fiction set not only in her home city but in alluring destinations all over the world
from Shropshire Katharine E Smith, whose novels include an eight-book romantic series set in Cornwall
Hawkesbury Upton’s own Debbie Young, who writes romantic comedies and gentle mysteries set in the Cotswolds
About this event
In the peaceful setting of Bethesda Chapel, this lively team will explore the history of the romantic novel. discuss the nature and the appeal of romance to modern readers.
They will also share the stories behind their own books, along with other insights into their writing lives, and give readings.
After their informal presentations and panel discussion, the authors will be pleased to sell signed copies of their books and chat informally to members of the audience over coffee and cake.
When the event has ended, the nearby Fox Inn will be open and will welcome anyone who wishes to continue the conversation over a drink or a meal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Guest numbers will be limited for social distancing purposes, so advance booking is essential to avoid disappointment. Admission on the day will depend on advance ticket sales and cannot be guaranteed. Should changes in Covid restrictions require cancellation, the organiser will refund the ticket price less Eventbrite’s administration charge.
The ticket price includes free hot drinks and cakes plus a £2 discount voucher valid against any book purchased at the event.
Meet the authors:
Jayne Davis writes: I enjoy reading many genres, but ever since I got hooked on Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer in my teens, I’ve particularly liked getting lost in the past with a good romance. I’ve had several careers, including engineer, teacher, publisher, and author of school textbooks. I’d always wanted to be a writer, but that kind of writing wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Now I’m finally enjoying writing historical romance. When I’m not writing or wasting time on the internet, I love reading (which author doesn’t?), gardening, walking and cycling. And drinking tea.
Kate Frost writes:I am the author of best-selling romantic escape novels (The Baobab Beach Retreat, A Starlit Summer, The Greek Heart, The Amsterdam Affair and The Love Island Bookshop), character-driven women’s fiction (The Butterfly Storm series and Beneath the Apple Blossom), and Time Shifters, a time travel adventure trilogy for children. I live in Bristol with my husband and young son. As well as writing novels, I’m the Director of Storytale Festival, a new city-wide children’s book festival that I co-founded in Bristol in 2019 with the ethos of making books accessible to all and encouraging children and teens to read, write and be creative. I feel incredibly lucky to spend my days writing and being immersed in books. One Greek Summer, my first book with Boldwood, will be published on 9thMarch 2022.
Katharine E Smith writes: I
I am a writer, editor and publisher, living in Shropshire, UK. I am a Yorkshirewoman by birth and I write (a lot, but not exclusively) about Cornwall. I am married, have two children, and a border collie. I love walking, and wild swimming – even on very cold days (though I definitely prefer it in the summer). My books include three standalone literary fiction novels – Writing the Town Read, Looking Past, and Amongst Friends – a contemporary romance/women’s fiction series – Coming Back to Cornwall – and the Connections series, each book of which focuses on a different character living in a small Cornish town. I suppose my books can mostly be classed as largely women’s fiction, but I don’t like to be sexist about these things and don’t see any reason that men might not enjoy them as well! In my role running Heddon Publishing, I work with other authors all around the world to help develop their work and achieve their dreams of becoming published. I love this work and have met some fantastic people, and learned a lot to benefit my own writing.
Debbie Young writes; Having lived in Hawkesbury Upton for over 30 years, I love writing stories set in the Cotswolds, whether light-hearted village mysteries or romantic comedies or a blend of both. My books include two series of novels, the Sophie Sayers Village Mysteries, which a reader described as “rose-tinted murders”, and the Staffroom at St Bride’s school stories, “like Malory Towers for grown-ups”, and standalone short stories, novelettes and novellas. My latest book is a “what-if” romantic comedy novella, Mrs Morris Changes Lanes. Two of my novels have been shortlisted for The Selfies, a publishing industry award for the best independently-published fiction in the UK.
Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival is a series of not-for-profit book-related events run by Debbie Young. For more information about HULF and the latest event news, visit http://www.hulitfest.com.
Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival 