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
November 2026
M J Aldridge - Writing Gritty Crime and Thrillers
This interview with bestselling author, screenwriter and producer Matt Arlidge will explore what makes for page turning gritty thrillers and crime novels. He'll talk about how he assesses which idea will make the best story, how he structures his books for maximum impact and to give readers that just-one-more-page compulsion, the conventions of the genre (and whether to break them), how he creates such compelling characters, and how he uses the techniques he learnt in tv writers rooms in his novel writing.
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 fourteen 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 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.
December 2026
Christmas Social
More details to follow, but will include a literary quiz.
Please note the change of date from our usual third Thursday of the month.
January 2027
Previous Meetings and Events
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.
August 2026
Denise Beddows - Cosy Crime: A Cottage Industry
Denise Beddows, award-winning writer of crime fiction and true crime and author of the Misbourne Murder Mysteries series, will explore the topic of so-called ‘cosy crime’.
How do we define ‘cosy crime’ and why is it so popular? Considering the work of a range of authors who excel in this sub-genre, Denise will examine its appeal and ask why Agatha Christie’s novels and the popular TV series Midsomer Murders do not comfortably fit its conventions.
September 2026
Paul Waters - From Belfast to Delhi: writing stories for a global readership
Paul Waters writes the Delhi Haveli Hotel Irish-Indian cosy crime series set in Chandni Chowk. The first in the series, Murder in Moonlit Square, was published in Britain and South Asia in October 2025, and entered the Indian charts at No.3. The second, Death at the Elephant House, will be published on 8th October 2026. The series features semi-retired Irish teaching nun Sister Agatha Murphy and Indian hotelier Avtar Mehta as they outwit the police and catch killers, while retaining their sense of humour.
As well as writing, Paul lectures in broadcasting at City University, helps lead a climate tech company, and organises literary festivals - the Khushwant Singh LitFests UK, Chiltern Kills and Global Noir. He co-hosts the award-winning We'd Like A Word books and authors podcast, and judges creative writing competitions. Paul was, and occasionally still is, a presenter, reporter and producer for the BBC and other broadcasters, in Ireland, Britain and overseas.