HOPING TO SEE YOU ALL ON SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER AT BRENTWOOD WRITERS' CIRCLE'S SPECIAL ANNUAL WRITING DAY

 

MITZI SZERETO SPENT SOME TIME WITH US IN BRENTWOOD, ESSEX BEFORE RETURNING TO THE USA - GREAT WRITER AND FUN TO KNOW!

 

LATEST RELEASE!

Women Who Murder: An International Collection of Deadly True Crime Tales

Deadly Dames and Murderous Damsels

Explore the fascinating psychology behind these killer women, unraveling their motives and unveiling the infinite complexities of human behavior in Women Who Murder: An International Collection of Deadly True Crime Tales.

From chilling stories of black widow murderers to spine-tingling narratives of women who shocked the world with their sinister deeds, this anthology spans eras and continents, offering an electrifying and thought-provoking exploration of the darkest corners of human nature and the female psyche. Like Mitzi Szereto’s popular The Best New True Crime Stories series, Women Who Murder includes all-new and original nonfiction accounts from an international cast of writers, all of whom prove that women can be just as deadly as men—if not more so!

Check out the videos and mugshots!

“The usual suspects rub shoulders with little-known killers from around the globe in this surprising, disturbing, and thoroughly engaging collection of stories of lethal women, evil mothers, deadly lovers, and abuse victims driven to the brink. Essential reading for all true crime fans.”—Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream

“This exciting true crime anthology, finely edited by Mitzi Szereto, demonstrates that although women around the globe kill far less frequently than men, their murderous tales are often more compelling. Highly recommended!”—Dr. Scott Bonn, author of Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers

“For those who like their true crime lean, mean, and multinational. Women Who Murder delivers bite-sized case studies both notorious and little known, but always addressing one overriding question: what drives a woman to kill? Editor Mitzi Szereto opens a Pandora’s box-load of shockers, contributing her own essay about Iran’s first female serial murderer. Women Who Murder argues convincingly that homicide is not just a macho pastime. Expect many sequels.”—Dennis McDougal, author of Mother’s Day and Angel of Darkness

“Mitzi Szereto’s expertise at assembling collections of true crime essays is on display in Women Who Murder, whose eclectic contents include stand-out essays by the likes of Cathy Pickens (a ‘Southern Gothic’ mystery) and Ciaran Conliffe, who explores the legendary Ruth Snyder case.”—Martin Edwards, Edgar-winning author of The Life of Crime

SO MUCH HAPPENING DURING SEPTEMBER WRITERLY GATHERINGS WITH ALCS AND OTHER FRIENDS

 What a year this has been so far.  New books have been published by members of the Society of Women Writers & Journalists, plus Brentwood Writers' Circle and articles and books from fellow journalists. 

Also noted is some important news from our colleagues at the Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society linked to sponsorships, industry and other writerly news. Recently, the ALCS-sponsored Comedy Women in Print Prize has revealed its 2025 shortlist. Check out their web pages to learn more. https://www.alcs.co.uk/.

Lovely to hear that our ALCS Honorary President, Maureen Duffy, has been awarded the inaugural RSL Pioneer Prize from the Royal Society of Literature. It was a pleasure to meet her at one of our earlier meetings (pictured below at an ALCS evening at HoL with the late Douglas Hurd).

The nominations for the 2026 Carnegies, the UK's longest-running children's book awards, are now open.

English PEN are hosting a series of events for International Translation Day on 30 September.

BRENTWOOD WRITERS' CIRCLE IS PLANNING OUR ANNUAL WRITERS' DAY - INVITING YOU ALL!

 

IT'S COMING! - THIS YEAR'S CHARITABLE FUN WALK BEGINNING ON 1 SEPTEMBER IS A RED LETTER DIARY EVENT

Here we are on 14th August and anticipation of our 2025 Fun Walk is climbing.  The team wishes all participants success in our September The Fun Walk. 

Our organisers are delighted to announce that over 80 organisations and 2,500 supporters are expected to take part in this year’s September Fun Walk, setting the stage for an outstanding charitable event. The Fun Walk offers a flexible and inclusive format, allowing supporters to complete their sponsored walk anytime and anywhere during the month. Participating charities receive sponsorship forms and guidance directly from the Fun Walk team, ensuring a smooth and successful experience for all involved. 

 There is still time for charities, local schools and churches, grass roots sports teams and other community interest groups to participate – they can register at https://thefunwalktrust.co.uk/ “We’re thrilled to see such incredible community spirit once again this year.” said John Baron, Chair of The Fun Walk Trust. “We wish every participating organisation great success in their fundraising efforts. Our Bonus Pot of over £32,000 could add an estimated 35%-40% bonus to the monies raised through sponsorship by participants – the more they raise, the bigger the bonus.” 

Our thanks go to our community-minded Bonus Pot sponsors which this year include Greater Anglia, Brown & Carroll (London), Sanctuary Housing Association, Equi Ltd, One Footstep (Human Kind Café, Billericay), Butyl Products Group, Tunnelcraft, c2c Rail, Mr Barrie Stone and others”.

 About the Fun Walk: John Baron and his team started the Fun Walk in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The event was so successful it became an annual one and one which continues to grow. To assist with its growth, in 2013 the Fun Walk became a registered Charity, and it is now officially known as The Fun Walk Trust (Registered Charity number: 1151626). The BONUS POT is a unique feature of the event, into which local businesses and individuals kindly donate, and which is then distributed to participating organisations on a pro rata basis in addition to the monies they themselves raise in sponsorship.

 The 2024 event raised £100,953 for local charities and community groups, and brought the total money raised since the Fun Walk’s inception to over £1,635,000. The Fun Walk Trust organises the walk and takes care of the paperwork, leaving the projects free to focus on raising sponsorship money and enjoying the event. The event is not confined to charities: any good cause or project may join us once approved by the Trust. For example, many pre-schools and schools, churches and community groups now regularly participate.

PHOENIXFM LATEST VISITS

 

STUDIO VISIT: Sylvia Kent and Rachel Arnold at Phoenix FM  The studio regularly hosts literary matters and we recently welcomed Sylvia Kent - respected local author, journalist, and long-time supporter of the arts - for our latest Book Club gathering. This is a monthly feature on Michelle Ward's morning show Eat My Brunch, although lots of authors also creep onto plenty of other shows on the station, too.

She came armed with all the latest from the Brentwood Writers' Circle, Billericay Readers, and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists - three groups that remain at the beating heart of our local literary scene.We also heard the newest instalment of her ever-popular 60 Second History feature.This month, she turned her attention to the fascinating tale of WH Smith, from Victorian newsstand to national institution to 21st-century demise.Joining Sylvia was a very special guest - Rachel Arnold, a multi-talented writer, singer, blogger, and former voice of this very station, too. Rachel opened up about her recent ADHD diagnosis in adulthood, and had a heartfelt and honest conversation about how it's shaped her life and creativity.Last week's column You can hear Sylvia and Rachel talking again at phoenixfm.com. Phoenix FM broadcasts from The Brentwood Centre in Brentwood, Essex. To check out the station's schedule, click here.

REVIEWING SOME OF MY PAST VIP DAYS AT RHS CHELSEA - MEETING SOME OF MY FAVOURITE FOLK!

Meeting Legends:  Memorable visit to RHS Chelsea Flower Show a few years back meeting some of my favourite chef and gardening legends.  Bumped into super cook Lorraine Pascale who was happy to chat about some of her (and my) favourite recipes. 

 

What's on

Always happy to promote the British Library's upcoming events, particularly now that they have launched a new season of gatherings at the Library, featuring bestselling authors, award-winning poets and inspiring thinkers. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up.

The Thursday Murder Club: An Evening with Richard Osman, Chris Columbus and Special Guests Tuesday 19 August, 19.00 At the Library and online Join them for a special evening celebrating The Thursday Murder Club from page to screen. With author Richard Osman, director Chris Columbus and special guests. Discover how this much-loved tale has been brought to life in the forthcoming film adaptation, released globally on Netflix on Thursday 28 August. Book now

CURRENTLY WRITING ''HAIR FASHION' - NOTHING REALLY NEW ON THE HORIZON! SAME OLD!!!

I knew the flick up would come back into fashion one day!  Courtesy of super hairdressers and friends Vidal Sassoon and Roger Thompson way back in the sixties. Both interesting and likeable personalities. Was honoured to be one of their first hair-styling models.  It's strange looking back at old images! Sure, we used false eyelashes, but no messing around with lip-jobs!