Announcing the Triskele Lit Fest 2016

A LITERARY FESTIVAL:

adventures in reading

Building on our experience of running two Indie Author Fairs, Triskele Books imagined our ideal Lit Fest. One word sums it up:

INCLUSIVITY!

Author panels to draw in readers eager to explore the world of books

Indie authors and trade-published authors on an equal footing on the same platform

BAME authors invited to talk about their books, not about diversity

Authors paid a decent fee for their appearance 

True to the founding principles of Triskele Books and Words with Jam, we knew it was up to us to make it happen.

So this year, alongside the trademark pop-up bookshop of our Indie Author Fairs, we will be staging a series of author panels, each focused on a genre popular with readers. The panels will bring together authors to discuss why they work in their chosen genre - what they love about it, what its challenges are, and their own favourite authors. 

Our Preserving the Unicorn panel will explore how editors and authors work together when the text, at first sight, defies conventional wisdom about how a narrative ‘should’ be put together. Ground-breaking novels, by their nature, break the rules. How does an editor work to hone such a text, without destroying the unique magic the author has created?

Supported by Matador Books and Ingram Spark, we bring you the first Triskele Lit Fest.

We look forward to welcoming you to Lift in Islington on Saturday 17th September.

Booking will open SOON for those who want a table in our pop-up bookshop.

Keep an eye on the Triskele Lit Fest blog.

In the meantime, you can view some of the exciting panellists we have lined up for you here.

Triskele Wants You!

One of our original ethics when we began Triskele Books was a commitment to supporting and developing other writers. That's why Jeff Norton dubbed us 'The Wu-Tang Clan of Publishing'.

We began with our Associate Programme, taking on authors whose work we loved. We offered experience and editorial/design/marketing support for a year. In return, those authors contributed to the Triskele team.

We initiated the Indie Author Fair, offering a pop-up bookshop for indie authors at Chorleywood LitFest. Foyles Charing Cross Road, and as part of the LBF Fringe Festival. Look out for the next one this April.

Now we're seeking for new ideas of ways to collaborate with other writers which will bring mutual benefits.
Triskele members are looking forward to a packed year of events and activity, including three new releases, so our time is limited. However, we are planning some short-term collaborative ventures. If you - author, bookseller, festival planner, publisher, arts organisation, author collective, artist or Prosecco manufacturer - have any innovative thoughts on how we can work together, we're all ears.

To provide some context, here are some facts but not limitations.

The Triskele collective writes historical fiction, crime and literary fiction.
Three of us live in the UK, one in France, one in Switzerland.
We're all indie publishers and, so far, all women.
Our triskele logo represents independence and mutual support.
Our key principles are high-quality writing, professional presentation and a strong sense of place.

For more info on Triskele and its members and how to contact us, here's our website.

http://www.triskelebooks.co.uk/

 

The Launch Weekend

Saturday - Triskele invades Leatherhead!

Kat, Barbara, Liza, Gilly, Jill and Jane

Tipped off by fellow authors Roz Morris and Jane Davis, we knew Peter Snell, owner of Barton’s Bookshop, was open to indie authors. When we approached him to suggest launching six new books in one afternoon, his response was pragmatic.

"Never done six before, but there’s a first time for everything."

Peter Snell of Barton's Bookshop

We needed no further encouragement. So we turned up, complete with books and themed props, and scattered ourselves around the shop.

Peter and his staff, Cameron and Harvi, did not seem to resent the invasion, but welcomed us, cheerfully supplying coffee. Peter had even made us a chocolate cake. What a host!

A lovely afternoon spent in a beautiful bookshop, with the added bonus of meeting readers and friends.

Thank you, Barton's Bookshop!


Sunday – IAF#14

This was our second time at Chorleywood LitFest.
The previous year we launched our 2013 novels and loaned ourselves out as a Human Library. When we started planning back in April, we wanted to do something different for 2014.

“What about a fair?” I said. “For indie authors.”

“There’s a thought,” said Catriona. “We could have a pop-up bookshop.” 

“Yes, that should be easy enough to organise,” we agreed.

Seven months later, we were kneeling in the mud trying to attach The Indie Author Fair banner to the railings, before lugging boxes of books down a slippery flight of steps, setting up the pop-up media centre, meeting our sponsors, directing authors to their stalls, answering media enquiries and posing for photographs.

Forty authors, hundreds of books, sixteen readings, four sponsors, a thousand catalogues and three hours of buzzing activity, all organised by Triskele Books, with the support of The Alliance of Independent Authors(ALLi) and Chorleywood bookshop. 

Not to mention afternoon teas with more homemade cakes.

At five o’clock, we celebrated with all the other indie authors with a well-deserved glass of wine. According to the feedback, our first ever Indie Author Fair had been a huge success. Catriona, our Triskelite on the ground, reminded me of that early conversation. Easy to organise? Not so much. But between us, we pulled it off.

Roll on next year. 

By JJ Marsh