CHILTERN WRITERS
How do I become a member?
Annual membership runs from January to December and fees for 2026 are £25 per year. If you join after 30th June then the fee for the rest of the year is £13.
Alternatively you are welcome to come along as a visitor, for a fee of £5 payable at the meeting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I JOIN A MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME?
We are always delighted to meet prospective members and you're welcome to attend as a visitor for as many meetings as you like before deciding to join us. The visitor cost is £5, payable at the meeting.
If you have any queries then please use the contact page on this website. Alternatively you can email chilternwriters@outlook.com or contact us via Facebook or Twitter (@ChilternWriters).
DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE?
You do not need to be a member to take part in the meetings, including reading out your own material at our manuscript evenings. You are also welcome to attend our Christmas social in December.
However, if you wish to enter our annual writing competition then you do need to be a paid-up member of Chiltern Writers.
IF I JOIN CHILTERN WRITERS WILL ANY VISITOR FEES BE REFUNDED?
We are unable to refund any visitor fees paid unless you decide to join the group, in which case that evening's visitor fee will count towards the cost of membership.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
September 2026
An evening with Paul Waters - details to follow.
https://www.paulwatersauthor.com/
October 2026
Toby Frost - World Building in Science Fiction and Comedy
Toby Frost is the author of the six Space Captain Smith novels, which tell of the adventures of a barely competent and very British space explorer and his hapless crew. He has also written one novel and several short stories for Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 franchise. He is currently working on an epic fantasy series and a comedy about a highwayman. In his talk, Toby will be discussing how to get the consistency you need to make unfamiliar settings feel three-dimensional and convincing, and talking about his own experience writing science fiction and comedy.
November 2026
M J Aldridge
M J Arlidge is the award-winning author of the hugely popular DI Helen Grace series. His first novel Eeny Meeny was the bestselling crime debut of the year in 2014 and twelve Helen Grace novels have followed, featuring regularly in the Sunday Times bestsellers list. He’s twice been selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, including for his latest standalone thriller Eye for an Eye. He is also a successful screenwriter, currently working on several original TV pilots and previously worked on top British series such at Silent Witness, Innocent and Eastenders, where he created storylines for Sonia Jackson and “Wellard" the dog.
Previous Meetings and Events
May 2026
How To Stand Out From The Crowd: Tips For Surviving The Slush Pile
Bestselling crime writer and CW member Steph Broadribb spoke about crafting a submission package that stands out in the slush pile. She discussed top tips for covering emails, elevator pitches, book summaries, synopses and blurbs and shared examples she's written that resulted in book deals with publishers. She also spoke about how to make sure an agent is the best fit for you and ended with an 'ask me anything' Q&A.
June 2026
We held one of our regular manuscript evenings. These allow members of the group to read out something they've written and receive constructive criticism, or to ask for views on particular aspects of their work.
July 2026
Andy Martin - 10 Lessons From Modern Masters
Andy Martin sat behind Lee Child as he wrote a whole Reacher book (documented in Andy's book Reacher Said Nothing), shadowed and interviewed Sir Ian Rankin as he wrote a Rebus book (broadcast on BBC Sounds) and has interviewed bestselling writers around the world including Jo Nesbo and Gregg Hurwitz. In his talk Andy spoke about what he observed and learnt from these experiences, how he uses this in his own writing and how you can too.