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The Romance Writing Festival is a romance literature event filled with talks, panels, activities, workshops, networking events and other events designed especially for those writing in the romance or romantic book genre to get their book published. The event is ideal if you are writing a romance boo or looking to connect with industry professionals. Bestselling authors, writers, writing professionals, book marketing experts and publishers will be in attendance in a conference format, giving tips, advice, guidance and knowledge to help you get your novel out into the world. The Romance Writing Festival Bournemouth is located in Dorset, UK, with the hotel right by the sea. So why not make a writing retreat by staying the weekend!

Most of the sessions take place at the Royal Bath Hotel on Bournemouth's seafront, just minutes from the miles of sandy beaches. The hotel is Grade-II listed and was Bournemouth's first hotel. It was frequented by many famous people, including Oscar Wilde! Our other venue a short walk away is the Russell-Cotes Museum, where our afternoon tea with editors will take place during the lunchbreak. We also have activities included in the ticket price. Yoga on the Beach at 8am, two beach walks and two literary walks of Bournemouth during the lunch break. Be sure to RSVP to these when you purchase your ticket.

The majority of the Romance Writing Festival takes place on Saturday 18th October 2025. We have a special VIP package which is on both Friday 17th October and Saturday 18th October, and includes a masterclass with Katie Fforde, dinner and two nights' seaview accommodation.

All of our panels are now filled and we have no more space this year. If you are an author and would like to hire a stall to sell your book (or would like to hold your book launch at the festival) then you can be featured in our Marketplace. All the details are here.

We have many opportunities for companies to get involved and get in front of romance writers. Contact us to discuss the best option for you (or we can come up with some ideas together). Head over to our sponsorship page for more details.

The hotel is accessible for wheelchairs. The step-free routes around the hotel are slightly longer, but our team will be on hand to support throughout the day. There is a council car park right next door with 11 spaces for disabled parking. The hotel has a large lounge/bar so there's space to sit down and take a break if needed. If you choose to have afternoon tea with an editor, that’s at the Russel Cotes Museum. It's accessible with lifts, but it’s up a bit of a hill, so please consider this. We will have volunteers on hand to help any attendees with accessibilty needs. Carer tickets are free. Just contact us at info@romancewritingfestival.co.uk once you've booked a ticket and we will make a note on your booking.

The Festival is organised and run by the team behind the Bournemouth Writing Festival, as well as Romance author Alison May and bestselling author Alex Stone. The Bournemouth Writing Festival is going into it's fourth year, and puts on 100 free and ticketed writing events and activities to inspire all writers to write, regardless of their age, ability or background. A proportion of profits from the Romance Writing Festival will go towards free community workshops for areas of our community who do not typically have access to writing professionals, ensuring voices from all areas of our society are heard.

Yes, we have five literary agents and commissioning editors attending where you can book a 15-minute session. You are invited to send examples of your work in advance for real feedback. Go to the agent page for all the details.

We have two rooms for panels over the day. The Kings Hall holds 250 people and the Mezzanine holds 60. Attendees to the Mezzanine Room are first-come, first-served (except for VIP Package holders where a space is guaranteed). There are ten one-hour panels over the course of the day, starting at 9:30am. Panels in both rooms will run at the same time, so you must choose which one to go to! The last session finishes at 5:30pm, where you can relax before our evening gala starts. View the list of talks and panels here.

Yes, a photographer and videographer will be roaming the entire event recording footage for promotional purposes. If you do not wish your image to be part of this, please inform them at the event, or contact us at info@bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk.

No, none of the sessions will be recorded.

We will try our utmost to make your visit as smooth as possible. There are many moving parts of this festival so please be kind if something has gone wrong and we will do our best to sort it out. Please email us at info@bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk if there are any urgent issues during the festival.

There are no planned competitions this year but there is a session where you can pitch your book to our panel, named Slay the Slush Pile at 3pm.

At this stage, we can't be sure. We have a maximum capacity and once we hit that number, no more tickets will be available. Best to book in advance to secure your place!

Yes, gift vouchers can be purchased here.

Once purchased, tickets cannot be transferred, exchanged or refunded or returned unless the event is cancelled. If we need to cancel an event for any reason, you will be entitled to a full refund of the face-value of the ticket with our apologies. No refund will be given to customers who are refused entry or ejected from a venue on account (or appearing to be) under age attempting to purchase alcohol or have alcohol bought for them, declining to be searched, abusive, threatening, drunken or other antisocial behaviour, carrying offensive weapons or illegal substances, or making unauthorised video, photographic or audio recordings not for personal use.

You are responsible for getting to the venue in plenty of time and no refund will be issued. Late-comers may be admitted but this is subject to agreement by the event organiser and capacity restraints.

Yes, you can pay in equal instalments but the full amount must be paid and cleared in full before the Festival starts. Contact info@romancewritingfestival.co.uk for details.

Yes! Children must buy a regular ticket and be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Yes, of course. Make sure you put their name on the booking form. Alternatively, you can purchase gift vouchers to give to them for a special writing present!

Our terms and conditions are located here: https://www.romancewritingfestival.co.uk/ticket-terms-and-conditions