This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
by Zarina de Ruiter
It’s May you guys, which means an abundance of spring flowers, actual rays of sunshine peaking through the clouds and the start of sizzling summer novels popping up in the book shops.
It’s one of the best times of the year for women’s fiction releases and before you pack your suitcase full of cosy reads to accompany you on your holiday, you have the opportunity to meet many of the lovely authors who wrote the books as they will be making appearances across the UK to celebrate their new novels!
4-16 May – London doesn’t have all of the fun, as the Swindon Festival of Literature brings thirteen days of literary frolics to North Wiltshire, including Writing Motherhood with C.L. Taylor, Rowan Coleman and Carolyn Jess-Cooke (£7), and Finding Truths in Fiction with Patrick Gale and Eve McBride (£8).
8-16 May – Famous for the fantastic I Heart and About a Girl series, Lindsey Kelk has a new stand-alone novel coming out this month, Always The Bridesmaid, and she’s holding pen parties (aka signings) at various locations across the UK to celebrate! So if you are in or near London, Southampton, Guildford, Manchester, Gateshead or Glasgow, be sure to read all about the pen parties on Lindsey’s website.
8-24 May – Norfolk & Norwich Festival is the place to be in East England this month for a host of exciting arts activities. For book lovers there are many fun events scheduled, such as Writing Families with Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry (£12), a day course in Nature Writing by the Sea (£120), and a talk titled Do It Like a Woman … Change the World. (£8).
9 May – Liz Fenwick’s new novel, Under a Cornish Sky, is out soon and you can be celebrating the release with this lovely lady in the Cornish village of Manaccan at the book’s launch party! To attend just RSVP to Falmouth Booksellers or to @liz_fenwick on Twitter. 
9-16 May – You know we love our festivals and Fowey Festival of Words and Music looks to be a cracker across the board. On the literary side we’re excited to see Judy Finnigan & Richard Madeley (9 May, £12), Harriet Evans & Veronica Henry (12 May, £10) and Rowan Coleman (15 May, £8). And if you’re going make sure you catch some inspirational writing events too, such as Creative Writing Workshop: A Sense of Place (14 May, £15) and Workshop Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission (16 May, £15).
12 May – For a triple whammy of fabulous women’s fiction authors join Lucy Robinson, Lindsey Kelk and Lucy Holliday for HarperCollins and Fabulous magazine’s ‘A Fabulous Night In’ in London. Tickets are just £5 and also include drinks and a goodie bag. We have already bought ours!
14 May – If you love good books, good food and good company then Gliterary Lunches might be just the thing for you! The May event is taking place in London and features authors Lisa Klaussmann (also the great-great-great granddaughter of Moby Dick creator Herman Melville!) and Rosie Thomas. Tickets are £85 per person.
16-24 May – The International Literary Festival Dublin is the place to be for book lovers and authors based in Ireland. You can have a Date With an Agent (€50), take part in European Literature Night, and listen to inspiring people such as women’s fiction and children’s author Sarah Webb (€5)and actress Fiona Shaw (€12).
19 May – Not an event you’ll likely be able to attend, but definitely a bookish date for your diary is the announcement of this year’s Man Booker International Prize winner!
19 May – Do you not just want to read books in solitary, but also discuss them to your heart’s content with fellow book geeks? Foyles’ flagship store on Charing Cross Road in London hosts a monthly book club and May’s title is the critically acclaimed H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. Tickets are free, but you do have to register your interest.
19-23 May – Paige Toon’s new novel, The Sun In Her Eyes, will be out on May 21st and she will be signing copies and meeting fans at book shops in London, Bluewater and Manchester to celebrate! You can find all the details on Paige’s website.
21-31 May – Wales gets some fantastic events too this month as the Hay Festival touches down in Hay-on-Wye. Literary highlights include Sarah Winman (24 May, £7), Hay Writers’ Circle (26 May, £3), Victoria Hislop (27 May, £8) and the legendary Marian Keyes (31 May, £7).
Enjoy! And as ever, if you know of any other bookish events coming up this month or the next, just comment below or tweet me on @zarinatweets.