Portsmouth’s Strong Literary Tradition
What do Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all have in common? The answer is that they are all writers who have all lived in Portsmouth and, in one way or another, been influenced by their time here.
“The list of historical authors who have connections to Portsmouth is impressive. It’s tempting to think that there is something special about our city that leads to lots of creative output,” says local author Loree Westron from Portsmouth Authors Collective.
Thankfully, this strong literary tradition continues today. “I don’t know what it is, but we absolutely do have something special going on here!”
The Challenge For Contemporary Authors
These days, however, writers have to do much more marketing if they want their books to sell, says Loree.
“Writing a book and promoting it require two very different skill sets. Writers are often quite inward-looking and reserved. We’re not usually the type of people who want to draw attention to ourselves!
“So, I think most of us would say that marketing our work is the biggest challenge. It can be an especially difficult task if you don’t have experienced people to guide you.”
The Birth Of Portsmouth Authors Collective
When Loree’s first novel was published around 18 months ago, she struggled to get it noticed. So she decided to contact a few other local writers and they set up the Portsmouth Authors Collective. The group has now grown from just a handful of people to more than 70 today.
A key aim of the collective is to help local writers to sell more books and grow their readership. Roughly 75% of the group’s books are self-published, while many others are published by small, independent presses – which makes getting books into shops a real challenge.
“Several shops were selling a few of our titles, but I found that many authors were unsure about how to get their books stocked. By working together, we’ve been able to share knowledge about what local booksellers are looking for – for example the types of books they will and won’t stock – and the business side of how to approach them.”
Members have also hosted workshops for their peers on subjects ranging from public speaking to social media marketing. “Our group is all about working collectively,” Loree emphasises. “We’re not in competition with each other, so sharing knowledge is a big part of what we do!”
Discovering Our Wealth Of Local Talent
Within the Portsmouth Authors Collective, there are those who have recently published their first book as well as others with many years of experience, and their ages range from early 20s to 80+.
Whatever you enjoy reading, there’s a shelf full of books by local authors just waiting for you to discover it, as they cover a huge range of styles and genres.
Patsy Collins is the group’s most prolific author and her work spans romance, crime and many other genres. She currently has 29 books to her name, while her short stories are regularly published in magazines.
More broadly, members write everything from literary and historical fiction to romance, horror, crime, suspense and thrillers. There are writers who specialise in children’s books, sci-fi, poetry, travel, memoirs, self-help books and local history.
Thanks to the efforts of the collective, their books are much easier to get hold of today. Pigeon Books in Southsea and New to You Books in Cosham now have dedicated sections for local authors. You can now also pick up their work in The Bridge Bookshop in Fratton, The Book Shop in Lee-on-Solent, and St Faith’s Bookshop in Havant.
The group is regularly out-and-about hosting bookstalls at local markets too, and you can meet them and buy their books at the Love Southsea Market in Palmerston Road on the first Saturday of each month.
Other ways You Can Get Involved
Another way to meet our local authors is to tune into radio. Since last summer, the collective has held a weekly Book Club on Victory Online, with Bob Bruce interviewing a different author each week during his Thursday Morning Call programme. Encouragingly, one of the group’s newer members who has found public speaking a real challenge, is now preparing to go on the show.
Group members Christine Lawrence and Jackie Green also run a monthly ‘open mic’ evening called Speak Volumes where authors share extracts from their books in a supportive environment. This takes place at the Six Highland Road café and has proved to be a great way for writers to share their work and engage with potential readers. Anyone from the local community is very welcome to attend – and is sure to leave inspired!
After talking to Loree and Jackie recently, I’ve certainly been amazed to discover the wealth of writing talent we have in our city of Portsmouth – and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on some of their books.
“I’ve spoken to many writers from other parts of the country who are jealous about what we have here in Portsmouth,” shares Loree. “We have an incredible active writing community, with dedicated people who are willing to support and nurture each other’s creativity!”
For more information about the Portsmouth Authors Collective, visit their Facebook page or website.
