Dog walking with Kania at new writers' festival

A festival championing new and emerging writers will kick off next week, and will include the chance to go on a dog walk with literary agent Carrie Kania.

The week-long Literary Kitchen Writing Festival, being held in London, will also feature appearances from authors Evie Wyld, Naomi Wood, Natalie Young and Zoe Pilger.

An agenting session will include Sophie Lambert, Alexander Cochran and Alex Christofi from Conville and Walsh Literary Agency, and Kirsten Foster from Curtis Brown Literary Agency hosting a panel on the ins and outs of finding an agent. Each agent will then lead a symposium on more detailed topics, such as drafting the perfect letter, and what they are personally looking for.

And writers will be able to get advice from Kania, who works at Conville & Walsh and also co-owns independent bookshop The Society Club in Soho, while she takes her dog Foxy Beckett for a walk.

Festival founder Andrea Mason said: “Creative writing needs to be recognised and valued as a discipline in its own right. With this festival I want to make the writing process explicit and to champion the notion of a writing community.”

She added: “The focus is very much on providing a service to writers, at whatever stage, as well as a dynamic week of events with an art crossover, and a focus also, on the health benefits of writing.”

In 2014 The Literary Kitchen Festival, taking place from 16th June to 22nd June, will form part of the Camberwell Arts Festival. It will be based at The Peckham Pelican, a newly opened arts café/bar.