Short Story September Festival Weekend

Hosted by short story publisher Dahlia Books, the Short Story September Festival is the ultimate weekend for writers looking to master the art of writing short stories.

Our main festival sessions will take place on Saturday 20th September in Leicester.

Additional writing workshops will take place on Sunday 21st September via Zoom.

All online workshops will be recorded and will be available on playback for up to 30 days.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME (subject to change)

Saturday 20th September 2025 – Phoenix Square, Leicester

All festival sessions will take place in Meeting Rooms 1&2.

10.15 AM Registration & Warm-up workshop

In this warm-up workshop, we will start generating new ideas for fiction by playing a series of writing games and prompts. Meet in the Curve Theatre cafe from 10.15 AM due to a recent change in the Phoenix opening hours. We will then head over to the Phoenix (3 mins walk away).

11.10 AM – 12.10 PM Developing Your Short Story Craft – Panel Discussion

In this panel discussion on developing your craft, writers Catherine Menon, Rebecca Burns, Laura Besley and Jonathan Taylor will share their writing process, the tools and tricks they use to master the short story form, and discuss how and why they return to writing short stories alongside their other works and responsibilities.

12 PM comfort break

12.15 – 1 PM – Interactive roundtable: Is Writing Short Stories Sustainable?

In this interactive roundtable and listening space, we will split up into groups to share our experiences of writing short stories. We will discuss what we’ve heard about working in this form, from family and friends, and publishing professionals and begin to answer the question whether writing short stories is sustainable? If you love the form but are constantly told you should be working on a novel, this session will nourish your soul. This session will be facilitated by Dahlia Books authors. Post it notes, pens and paper will be provided.

1 – 2 PM – Lunch (not included)

2 – 3 PM Abi Hynes and Malachi McIntosh in conversation

Winner of this year’s Edge Hill Short Story Prize Debut and author of Parables, Fables, Nightmares Malachi McIntosh will be in conversation with Abi Hynes, fellow shortlisted writer and author of Monstrous Longing. This session will be followed by a Q&A.

3 – 3.45 PM Everything You Wanted to Know About a Small Press But Were Too Afraid to Ask

What does a small press do, and how do they support a short story writer get their work out there? How are they set up, and do they pay an advance? From submitting your work to a small press to handling distribution and subsidiary rights, this session is your opportunity to put your questions to Farhana Shaikh and have them answered – with no question off the table! Participants can submit their questions in advance via email to f.shaikh@dahliapublishing.co.uk.

3.45 PM Comfort break / Doors open for ceremony only

4 – 5 PM – Leicester Writes Short Story Prize Ceremony

The Leicester Writes Short Story Prize was set up in 2017 to recognise and reward the best short story writing talent. Join us to celebrate this year’s fantastic long-listed writers and listen to the short stories that made it to our top 20 from just under 400 entries! Our prize anthology featuring all 20 short stories will be launched on the day. Readers on the night tbc.

Sunday 21st September 2025 – Zoom, online

10.30 AM Registration & Warm-up workshop

In this warm-up workshop, we will mine our personal histories and life experiences to generate material for short stories. You will leave with a handful of fragments and titles. Please bring a photograph of you as a child to the session.

11.00 – 12.15 PM The Significance of Voice Workshop

In this workshop, Mona Dash, Catherine Menon, and Reshma Ruia – members of The Whole Kahani – will discuss the crucial building blocks for writing authentically. They will examine different types of voices, read and discuss their own writing, and give us a peek behind the workshopping process they use to develop their single-author collections and their group’s anthologies.

12.15 – 1.30 PM Lunch break – virtual brownies and tea for all

1.30 – 2.45 PM How to Pitch a Short Story Collection Workshop

In this session with publisher Farhana Shaikh, participants will learn what makes a good pitch for a short story collection. We will look at live pitches received by Dahlia Books, think about what makes a successful pitch, and have a go at writing and pitching our own collections. You will leave feeling confident in approaching publishers and talking about your stories to absolutely anyone.

3 – 4.10 PM Planning a Short Story in 60 Minutes Workshop

In this workshop with three-time novelist, short story writer and editor Leone Ross, participants will learn how to plan a beginning, middle, and end of a short story in just 60 minutes. You will leave with the bones of a new short story to work on.

4 – 4.30 PM – Plenary

See full schedule and speaker bios on our website: http://www.shortstoryseptember.co.uk/festival

For queries and bursaries please email f.shaikh@dahliapublishing.co.uk