Exeter Writers

  The 17th Exeter Writers Short Story competition is now open You can find all the details by clicking here . Our timetable for this year is as follows: 1st December 2025: competition opens 28th February 2026: competition closes 25th April 2026: longlist is announced 12th May 2026: shortlist is announced 1st June 2026: winners are announced

 Books by Members: Sarah Bonner If you enjoyed Sarah's recent release, How to Slay at Christmas , you may like to check out her other 'How to Slay' novels; When your boss is at a conference in a city where there's a suspicious death, it's unlucky. If it happens twice, it's odd. But when she's in the same city at the same time as a third unexplained death . . . Could she be a stone-cold killer? Millie's always known her boss Freya is a psycho – the demanding and ever-changing coffee orders, the cryptic instructions, the apparently expected mind reading and don't even start on the insistence that Millie wears heels . . . All. The. Time. But it only extends as far as exacting office standards. Right? As Freya's assistant, Millie has privileged access to her diary and travel history and when a pattern emerges of men (who seem to have no connection to each other) dying in cities where Freya is travelling, Millie is determined to figure out what's ...

Don't miss Richard Handy discussing how his work as a forensic practitioner gives an unusual slant to his writing   9th November 2025, 10am - 5.15pm £20 per person (light snack lunch included) Torquay Museum is once again set to host its much-anticipated literary event, Crime at the Coast, bringing together readers, aspiring writers, and seasoned authors for a thrilling day of crime fiction exploration. Crime at the Coast celebrates the rich tradition of crime writing in the South West highlighting contemporary voices in the genre. This year’s event promises to be the most engaging yet, with  four dynamic sessions  designed to inspire, inform, and entertain. Highlights include: Panel Discussions  with acclaimed crime authors delving into the perils and pitfalls of research, the mindset for murder and how to deal with modern trends in publishing, from digital publishing to podcasts. A Unique Session Featuring Real-Life Forensic Practitioners  who will share how t...

 That time of year is approaching.... ...and Exeter Writer,  Sarah Bonner may just have the perfect Christmas gift for lovers of psychological thrillers!   The BRAND NEW deliciously dark, festive comic thriller from bestseller Sarah Bonner, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Katy Brent and Amy Tintera! 🩸🔪🎄 She’s making a list, she’s checking it twice… Jessica Williams loves Christmas: the food, the drink, the fairy lights, the opportunities to take out all the miserable people who ruin the festive season for others. And what better cover for her murderous intentions than taking a job as Mrs Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market grotto? After all, who would possibly think Mrs Claus could stab a man through the eye with a Phillips-head screwdriver? Fearne Dixon hates Christmas. As the long-suffering wife of the Ellsbury Christmas Market’s manager, she’s sick to the back teeth of it and it’s still only November. But then the bodies start piling up, an old rival arrives b...

An extraordinary true story of a fisherman’s daughter who devoted her life to sea rescues after seeing her father and three brothers die in a summer storm has inspired a new novel by a member of Exeter Writers.   In 1874, Margaret Brown (later Armstrong) stood helplessly on a windswept beach as rough seas claimed the lives of her loved ones. She was left with the heartbreaking task of pulling their bodies from the waves. But out of grief came courage. Margaret helped to establish her community’s first lifeboat and took part in rescues for more than 50 years, often hauling the vessel into the surf and recovering it after missions.   This remarkable legacy sparked  The Silver Tide , the third novel by Westcountry journalist and author Jason Mann, who writes as J.H.Mann. “I heard about Margaret Brown’s tragic and brave story while acting as a shore-based volunteer for the lifeboat service and was immediately captivated,” said Jason. “I realised it could form the he...

 Meet the Winners! Morgan Brennan lives in Berkshire and is a member of two brilliant writing groups. He has been writing short stories and flash fiction since he retired. He has had stories published by Flash Fiction Magazine and Secret  Attic and have been shortlisted in the Exeter Short Story competition before. Morgan has also been  longlisted in The Writers & Artists Short Story competition and the Farnborough Flash Fiction  competition. How did you feel when you found out you’d won? I was absolutely delighted. I hadn’t looked out for the results, so the first I knew was when I got the email congratulating me. I had been shortlisted a few years ago in the competition, but this was extra special. Where did you get the idea?   My fictional story of Malachy Doyle comes from an interest in the Troubles. I had viewed the BBC’s excellent documentary series, Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland , and read Tim Pat Coogan’s seminal account of the period, The Tr...