Harris and Higson to headline ScotsWrite

Charlie Higson and Joanne Harris are headlining the Society of Author's ScotsWrite conference this September.

The three-day event will take place at the Westerwood Hotel near Glasgow from 22nd to 24th September 2017, offering talks and workshops from experts in areas including marketing, self publishing, changing genre, technology, health and wellbeing, and ergonomics.

Harris, the author of 17 novels, including Chocolat, will open the conference with a talk about empowering writers. “ScotsWrite will be a great way to connect with other authors, and to learn about new developments in our industry," she said. "Authors are often a solitary lot - it's essential for us to stay connected, help each other and keep abreast of the changes happening in this very mercurial business of ours. The Society of Authors helped me a great deal in this when I was starting out: I'm hoping I can reciprocate."

Over the course of the weekend 22 writers and other literary professionals will deliver talks, debates and workshops on all aspects of the writing life, broadly themed around passion, mission, profession and vocation. Breakout sessions will meanwhile cover topics such as translation, new literary forms, authors’ software, ergonomic workspaces and CPR, and building an author brand without losing sight of wellbeing. A number of agents and editors will also be available for one-to-one appointments.

Author, actor and comedian Higson, who is exploring a career in writing, said: “I'm chuffed to be invited to speak at ScotsWrite in September and am looking forward to coming to Scotland. My career has been pretty varied but writing has been the underlying thread and that's what I'll be talking about - diversification. It's great to be part of a writer's conference that covers all aspects of the lifestyle and that appeals to writers of all levels and forms.”

Other authors on the bill include Joanna Penn, who will be delivering sessions on how writers can make a living. Denise Mina and Kevin MacNeil will also speak.

Penn said: “It's the first conference of its kind in Scotland and has a fantastic programme that is relevant to writers of all levels, whether traditional publishing, independent or hybrid. The focus on making writing sustainable for creatives is much needed in a time when funding for the arts is under threat.”

The full line-up is available on the SoA website.