Island writers are invited to come together in Cowes next week for a sociable evening celebrating local literary talent and showcasing opportunities across the Isle of Wight and beyond.
The second Isle of Wight Writers Jamboree takes place on Sunday 9th February, from 18:00–21:00, in the scenic setting of the Island Sailing Club.
The annual get-together offers Island writers a rare chance to step away from what is often a solitary pursuit, meet fellow creatives, and celebrate the strength and diversity of the local writing community.
As well as providing a relaxed and sociable atmosphere, the evening will feature short contributions from organisations able to paint a broader picture of the Island’s cultural landscape, highlighting opportunities for writers locally, across the south, and nationwide.
The event is organised by Medina Bookshop in collaboration with Creative Island and its talent development programme, the IW Creative Network. Representatives from Naked Figleaf Press, Brevity, Lemon Jelly and other literary groups will be in attendance, alongside Hampshire-based Artful Scribe, offering a mainland perspective.
Information will also be available on a range of upcoming initiatives, including the search for an Isle of Wight Poet Laureate, the Can You Hear Us cultural celebration, the 2026 IW Book Awards, and both the Story Festival and Literary Festival.
Paul Armfield, founder of Medina Bookshop and the event, said:
“We cherish our local writers, for the past three years our top ten best-selling books have been written by Island authors or had some Island content.
In 2024 we were pleased to work alongside the IOW Literary Festival to create several opportunities for Island writers to be a part of the festival, and one of the unexpected benefits was just how happy writers were to be meeting each other, so we thought why not create an opportunity for just that.Article continues below this advertisement “This is not a commercial opportunity – no-one will be selling their wares. Presentations are kept brief; this is a chance to just meet, chat and hear about things of interest.”
Last year’s inaugural Writers Jamboree attracted more than 100 writers, with this year’s event expected to be even more popular.
The evening is open to everyone, whether published or just starting out. Tickets cost £5, which includes a cone of fish and chips (or vegan equivalent), or are free to members of the IW Creative Network.
You can join the IW Creative Network here.
I am an Isle of Wight writer. I’ve written novels, short stories and a ridiculous amount of poetry. I self published on Amazon for a few years, selling a small number of books in countries like Japan, Australia, America and here.
I found the continual advertising extremely boring. Combined with regular rejections from literary agencies, in 2019, I decided to take all my work offline.
The latest hair-brained plan is to set up a website where I can display every novel and perhaps even sell the odd one.
My poetry collections need condensing. It’s a constant task going through, editing, writing some off and marking others for publication. No poem or novel is ever ‘finished’. There is always a comma where a semi colon might be better.
As a pauper curmudgeon I cannot afford the fiver for the writer’s doodleooo. (Seriously) Many of us are solitary, maudlin, misanthropic and socially inept so, for me, missing out is not an issue.
Perhaps next year, with my website up and running and (hopefully) with a little success to witter on about, I might be better disposed to the social aspect. It is an enduring issue for anyone involved with the arts.
Very good on paper, hopeless in actual real life situations