Moore’s School of Words – Writing Workshop with Syd Moore

Saturday 14 June 2025, 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cobham Lodge, Westcliff-on-Sea

Want to write but can’t get started? Have an idea but need to develop it? Or simply fancy a day of self-indulgent creative stimulation?

Join best-selling author and creative writing lecturer Syd Moore for an inspiring, hands-on writing course designed to ignite your creativity and sharpen your writing skills.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your craft, this one-day workshop offers a rare opportunity to work alongside one of the UK’s most engaging contemporary writers.

Across the day, you’ll take part in a range of dynamic, practical exercises and discussions, including:

• A creative warm-up to fire up your imagination and unlock hidden ideas from visual prompts.
• Learn how to create characters that feel authentic, layered, and alive on the page.
• Find out how to set them off on their own adventure.
• Discover the essentials of plot and narrative structure, and learn how to shape your story with confidence.
• Share insights, ask questions, and connect with fellow writers in a supportive, inspiring environment.

Whether you’re working on a novel, short story, or screenplay, this workshop will equip you with practical tools, fresh perspectives, and the motivation to get writing.

Spaces are limited — book here to secure your place and take the next step in your writing journey.

Date: 14th June 2025
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Cobham Lodge, 2 Cobham Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS0 8EA
Price: £100 includes LUNCH, coffees, teas and light refreshments
Box Office: tickettailor.com/events/stevensonproductions

Syd Moore – Author and Workshop Director

Best known for her Essex Witch Museum Mysteries (Strange Magic, Strange Sight, Strange Fascination, Strange Tombs, Strange Tricks) which were shortlisted for the Good Reader Holmes and Watson Award 2018, Syd Moore has also written short stories – The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas (2019) and The Twelve Even Stranger Days of Christmas (2020) both of which were shortlisted for the ‘dagger awards’ by the Crime Writers Association.

Harper Collins have published two standalone novels, The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt which became a bestseller. The Grand Illusion, a novel about how the British Secret Service exploited the Nazi’s preoccupation with the occult, was published in 2024. Her book The Witching Hour was one of the bestselling (no. 12) mystery titles of 2024.

In 2019 Moore became a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and now pioneers Reading Rounds for them in hospices. For nine years prior to writing she was a lecturer and worked extensively in the publishing industry. In the 90s she presented Channel 4’s book programme, Pulp. She is the founder of The Essex Girls Liberation Front and, in 2020, was successful in campaigning to have the derogatory definition of the ‘Essex Girl’ removed from the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. Syd has worked with a range of groups and communities and has lectured on undergraduate Creative Writing degrees, Masters programmes and with PhD students. She has a M.A. (Distinction) in Creative Writing.

Stephanie Stevenson – Host

Stephanie Stevenson will be your host for the day. She comes from a background of Arts Admin and Events having worked at arts charity Metal based in Southend-on-Sea. Within her 13 years at Metal, Steph worked on many productions and events including Village Green festival, Estuary Festival, Village Beach, Essex Writers House, and many more. She has recently spent the last year at A Better Start Southend – a 10-year lottery funded charity, organising various community events, workshops and sessions for families of preschool children.