Bridport's famed literary awards is hosting an event aimed at inspiring local writers. 

The event will see three local authors speak about how to go about writing your own novel and how to get it noticed.

Award winning and bestselling author Isabel Ashdown, known for her novels Little Sister, 33 Women and her critically acclaimed debut Glasshopper, will be at the event at the LSI on East Street on March 20 from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Alongside her own writing, Isabel is also a writing coach, and a mentor for the Royal Literary Fund.

Another award winning author will be on hand to offer her advice in the form of Bridport resident Kim Squirrell.

Kim is a multidisciplinary artist and writer whose work draws on the landscape of rural Dorset and won the Bridport Prize Dorset Award and the Sky Arts RSL fiction award.

Joining Isabel and Kim is Helen Corner Bryant who runs Cornerstones Literary Consultancy in Bridport, which helps aspiring writers get their books agent and publishing ready.

Kate Wilson, Bridport Prize programme manager said: "Writing can be a solitary experience. We hope to bring together local people and authors to provide a little inspiration, motivation and understanding around novel writing.

"It’s an opportunity for aspiring writers to hear from those already published and who work in the industry about how to get their novel noticed."

The Bridport Prize is one of the most prestigious international writing competitions in the literary calendar and began over 50 years ago.

It has a £20K prize fund across Novel, Short Story, Poetry and Flash Fiction and in 2023 it added Memoir to the competition's genres.

Many writers have launched their careers with the Bridport Prize and ended up on the best sellers list., with previous winners including Kate Atkinson MBE, Kit de Waal and Sean Lusk.

Former judges include Monica Ali, Roger McGough and Cathy Rentzenbrink.

Novelist Kate Atkinson said: "I have enormously fond memories of the Bridport Prize. It gave me one of the first affirmations that I could write.

"The story I wrote for the competition was the first time I felt I found that elusive thing – my ‘voice’.

"Without the Bridport Prize I would probably not have found my agent and quite possibly wouldn’t have written Behind the Scenes at the Museum so I have a lot to be thankful to it for."

Tickets for the event will cost £10 with a free glass of wine and can be booked online at Bridport Arts Centre or at Bridport Tourist Information Centre.