Cheshire Ladies
As you know, I love attending networking events, supporting women in business from Cheshire and Manchester and gaining education and inspiration from women who live and work in the sensational suburbs of Cheshire and beyond.
One event I’ve been attending for many years is Sue France’s legendary Literary Lunch.
The lead picture includes Sue (middle) and Dr Sally Penni @SJSSallyPenni) MBE, Barrister who made a real splash at the table and engaged us with an introduction game!!
I also bumped into a fellow networking Queen, Susie Sprigg of @susiespriggevents on Tuesday 7th October at Owen House Wedding Barn in Mobberley, Cheshire.
Susie has run WibN (Women in Business North) in the past and so she knows many female entrepreneurs around Manchester and Cheshire.
Here she is with another fellow WiBN attendee Bernadette Willems who is a lovely lady and perfectly matched to being a mediator between partners before they consider a separation and divorce who is blessed with a lovely calming and gentle manner which sets any potential meeting off to the best start!
Cheshire Women
It was wonderful to catch up with Author Caroline England (Instagram @cazengland1) and I was lucky enough to win one of her books, called Betray Her, which sat on my bedside table for a while, but when I eventually got on to it I couldn’t put it down!!)
We are so lucky to meet such talented women on our doorstep and sometimes we don’t even know it!!
Sue France (Networking Queen and Founder of the Literary Lunch) appears at the back. She says she has retired but still keeps very busy with her other projects…
To the right is charity advocate, journalist and all round funny girls Maggie Dormand who always makes me giggle, and is a great wordsmith on Facebook. I do hope she starts writing her own funny book after today’s inspirational stories, go on Maggie!!
Colourful Combo
Across the room I spotted the inimitable and forthright sensation that is Kate aka @TotesInappropes and couldn’t resist a photo as our colour and energy matched so well!!
Totes is a well known figure around Cheshire with a huge following on Facebook for her unique style of writing and honest journalling of her Mothering experiences. She is a stand out and unique member of the community (in style and content!) and has liberal views of welcoming people of all backgrounds into the community for which she has received some negative and unnecessary criticism from some quarters who should be ashamed of themselves. I for one think that we could all benefit from listening and collaborating from people from all walks of life as we all have some tips for navigating this often crazy and seemingly uncontrollable world at the moment.
Charity Supporters
Interviewee, Author and Columnist Suzan Holder has also written a book called “What Would Dolly Do?” and so she brought a fun replica of Dolly to the event in Cheshire.
Who doesn’t love the iconic Dolly Parton??
She has done so much for literacy in the US and around the world now and has an organisation that gives free books to children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to read, called The Imagination Library (you can click for more info) and as a song writer, performer, charity advocate and witty human, is one of my all time heroines and I wish her the best of health after her recent health scares.
Genevieve Pegg
We were also inspired by the words of Genevieve Pegg who has many years’ experience as an Editor and currently work for HarperCollins North who gave us a host of real life writer tips!
She reminded us that writers need to tell their authentic story as we are hard-wired to share out own uniqueness with stories from when we lived in tribes right to the present day. She had a powerful turn of phrase, saying that we should “read to lean into the camp fire”.
Your story should “move the reader” and for commercial success it should fill a gap in the market that has not otherwise been filled.
If you can harness some raw magic and she can mine your story then there is no worry of competition from AI. (Thank goodness!!)
Part of the joy of the event, is that authors swap books with someone else in the room and I took the opportunity to share my book, called Womanhooded (available on Amazon by clicking here).
As an avid reader and blogger, I am constantly looking for inspiration and advice to improve my own writing skills, so this was very welcome.
She also said that as a “nerdy wordy”, not to worry too much on the intricasies of spelling and grammar as “there is ALWAYS A TYPO” in published books. Phew!
Finally, in regards to trends forecasting, that even if you have written books which haven’t quite “made it” yet, that your time may yet to come. Ian Rankin wrote 7 books before he became “famous overnight”!!
Active & Inspirational Women
The day was packed with presenters as well as a menu of chicken and a creme brulee which complimented the elderflower mocktail on arrival for welcome fizz!
Apologies for not publishing photos of all the speakers, but they include Jane Costello (Liverpool Rom Com Writer, who I adore so got a personal signing of a bookmark 😉 pictured below sitting whilst being interviewed by Sian), Dr Kate Jenkinson (Poet extraordinaire and wearer of red hats), Lisa Williams Children’s books illustrator @ljmwilliams, Sally Anne Martyn (Author of dark Northern thrillers), Suzan Holder, and of course Genevieve Pegg.
The event was sponsored by Moja Publishing and TAUK self-publishing houses.
The baton of organising the event was taken on by editor Sian Elin-Flint Freel and business networker and TedX Speaker Kirsty James.
See if you can recognise or even spot yourself in the photographs below!
