Silk Mill, Small publishers’ Fair. Organized and presented by Frome Writers’ Collective (FWC)

A wide variety of books both fiction and non fiction were featured on individual stalls within the Silk Mill, Frome, Somerset UK.

Small publishers’ and authors’ attended from across counties. It was good to see young attendees; stall holders and author contributors.

This was author Sam Grant’s third attendance at July Small Publishers’ Fair. Author, for demonstration purposes, has enlarged photos of period shipping which relates to his trio of maritime novels, poems and short stories. There was concern from one visitor that there were no lifeboats for the horses. stabled on deck, aboard S/S Hardwicke Grange. Author, served aboard S/S Royston Grange and his latest novel Chilling Encounter draws in part from experience of working aboard the vessel. Near to completion of apprenticeship memories are of re- caulking decks with a rubber solution, which when dry was sliced flush with deck and excess rubber scraped away. Another task was a spray paint of the passenger awnings. Staff Captain Guillmore was keen for author to stay aboard for another trip, but his apprenticeship was complete and shore college study beckoned for Second Mate’s certificate.

Atlantic Hijack, maritime novel, displays South America in red with white background. Chilling Encounter, similarly displays South African continent in red. Both familiar coast lines from author’s seafaring days; albeit from visits to ports in Argentina; Brazil; Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Monrovia, Lagos and Cape Town.

A copy of author’s latest book – Short Story, Verse, Commentary was sold. Sales were lost through author not having a card machine. Atlantic Hijack, continues to draw readership. Author was delighted when an overseas reader just wrote “perfect,” in Amazon review for Atlantic Hijack.

A local illustrator on a visit to the Small publishers’ fair has offered services. An illustration, it may have been written? can do the work of a thousand words.

Book events, this author has found are mainly about meet and greet. An occasional sale made is an unexpected bonus. An opportunity to find about what is new in the author publishing world. There has been incremental increased interest shown toward author’s books, in 2023. Contact has been made by an international journal prior to publication of latest book Short Story, Verse, Commentary by Colin H Coles and a county library service has messaged author for details. It’s usually the author who messages!

A near “draft,” script completion for his latest novel – Chilling Encounter. Recently in a writers’ group it was noted that author was over – describing a location in the novel. Must remember to switch out of screen script mode when novel or story writing!!