Conference Programme 2026
This year we are excited to announce a packed programme from Friday 20th March until Sunday 22nd March, 2026. We want our members and guests to have an enjoyable and productive time by using the workshops wisely to learn from our assembled team of experts in areas you may need to improve your knowledge. From our Gala Dinner to the Dragons Pen, to the Poetry Wall we have a well-rounded selection of activities and speakers. Enjoy the Programme and please remember to give us your feedback at the end of this conference.
Please Note: The Programme below is just a temporary one to show you an approximate of what is on. Final designed programme will replace this once the printers send us the first proof. Programme is subject to change.
SAW Programme 2026 | ||||||||
FRIDAY 20th MARCH | ||||||||
| Description | Room | From | To | |||||
| Registration | Foyer | 14:00 | ||||||
| Clubroom Reception for Adjudicators and Workshop Leaders | Clubroom | 17:00 | 17:45 | |||||
Friday Evening Dinner | Carrick Suite | 17:45 | 19:30 | |||||
| Comfort Break | 19:30 | 19:40 | ||||||
| President’s Welcome – Grahame Anderson | Carrick Suite | 19:40 | 19:50 | |||||
Awards | ||||||||
| Constable Silver Stag – General Novel – Anne Hamilton | Carrick Suite | 19:50 | 20:00 | |||||
| Pitlochry Quaich – Speculative Fiction – Conner McAleese | Carrick Suite | 20:00 | 20:10 | |||||
| Silver Thistle – Teens – Caroline Logan | Carrick Suite | 20:10 | 20:20 | |||||
| Barbara Hammond Trophy – Self-Published Book – Malcolm Chisholm | Carrick Suite | 20:20 | 20:30 | |||||
| Under 7’s Trophy – Emily Dodd | Carrick Suite | 20:30 | 20:40 | |||||
| SAW Council Trophy Flash Fiction – Erskine Writers | Carrick Suite | 20:40 | 20:50 | |||||
| May Marshall Silver Book Trophy – Greenock Writers’ Club | Carrick Suite | 20:50 | 21:00 | |||||
| Comfort Break | 21:00 | 21:15 | ||||||
Friday Evening Welcome – Speaker – Simon Brett | Carrick Suite | 21:15 | 22:15 | |||||
| Literary Bingo | Carrick Suite | 22:15 | 22:45 | |||||
SATURDAY 21st MARCH | ||||||||
| Breakfast – Flemings Restaurant | Flemings Restaurant | 07:00 | 08:45 | |||||
| Comfort Break | 08:45 | 09:00 | ||||||
| Welcome – Grahame Anderson – Announcements | Carrick Suite | 09:00 | 09:10 | |||||
| Janetta Bowie Chalice – Non-fiction Book – Catherine Czerkawska | Carrick Suite | 09:10 | 09:20 | |||||
| Margaret McConnell Trophy – Humorous Short Story – David McVey | Carrick Suite | 09:20 | 09:30 | |||||
| Dorothy Dunbar Rose Bowl – Poetry – Alison Chisholm | Carrick Suite | 09:30 | 09:40 | |||||
| Drama – Short Stage Play – John Binnie | Carrick Suite | 09:40 | 09:50 | |||||
| Largs Shield – 3 – 5 Minute Sketch – Ayr Writers’ Club | Carrick Suite | 09:50 | 10:00 | |||||
| Alistair Walker Oscar Trophy – General Article – Gill Sherry | Carrick Suite | 10:00 | 10:10 | |||||
| John Severn Inkwell Trophy – General Short Story – Margaret Skea | Carrick Suite | 10:10 | 10:20 | |||||
| Comfort Break – Tea and Coffee | Tea and Coffee Stati | 10:20 | 10:45 | |||||
| Free Time to Purchase Books – Networking | Foyer | 10:20 | 10:45 | |||||
| FIRST WORKSHOP SITTINGS – SATURDAY MORNING | ||||||||
| A Skeleton Story – Anne Hamilton | Carrick Suite 1 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Rebuffing Definition and Embracing Individuality – (Speculative Fiction) – Con | Carrick Suite 2 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Fantasy Worldbuilding and Mapmaking – Caroline Logan | Carrick Suite 3 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Controlling the Flow of Information – Simon Brett | Clubroom | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Writing for young children – Emily Dodd | Kelvin Suite | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Self Publish Your Book – Free – Malcolm Chisolm | Antonine Room | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Pre-booked Individual One to One Sessions | ||||||||
| One to One – Poetry – Alison Chisolm – Session 1 | Carron Suite | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Poetry – Alison Chisolm – Session 2 | Carron Suite | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| One to One – Article – Gill Sherry – Session 1 | Campsie Suite | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Article – Gill Sherry – Session 2 | Campsie Suite | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie – Session 1 | Bedroom Suite – Gra | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie – Session 2 | Bedroom Suite – Gra | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| One to One – Drama – John Binnie – Session 1 | Bedroom Suite – Sus | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Drama – John Binnie – Session 2 | Bedroom Suite – Sus | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| Lunch | Flemings Restaurant | 12:00 | 13:30 | |||||
| SECOND WORKSHOP SITTINGS – SATURDAY AFTERNOON | ||||||||
| The Craft of Non-Fiction: Turning Facts into Compelling Narratives – Catherin | Carrick Suite 1 | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| Humour: Finding Your Funny – David McVey | Carrick Suite 2 | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| Writing for Magazines – Perfect Your Pitch – Gill Sherry | Carrick Suite 3 | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| Crafting the Short Story that lives on after ‘The End’ – Margaret Skea | Clubroom | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| How to start writing a play – John Binnie | Kelvin Suite | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| How to place your book in bookshops – Peter Rome | Antonine Room | 13:30 | 14:30 | |||||
| One to One – Poetry – Alison Chisolm – Session 3 | Carron Suite | 13:30 | 13:50 | |||||
| One to One – Poetry – Alison Chisolm – Session 4 | Carron Suite | 14:00 | 14:20 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie Session 3 | Campsie Suite | 13:30 | 13:50 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie Session 4 | Campsie Suite | 14:00 | 14:20 | |||||
| Free Time to Visit Book Shop and Network – Introduce yourself to someone y | Tea and Coffee Stati | 14:30 | 15:00 | |||||
| Poetry X-Factor – New Fun Event to Our Programme | Carrick Suite | 15:00 | 16:00 | |||||
| Reading of First Place Winners and Performance of winning 3 – 5 minute sket | Club Room | 16:00 | 17:15 | |||||
SAW 56th Annual Gala Dinner | Carrick Suite | 18:00 | 20:00 | |||||
| Comfort Break | 20:00 | 20:15 | ||||||
| Award Ceremony (Official Photography Only) | Carrick Suite | 20:15 | 20:45 | |||||
Saturday Evening Speaker – Marion Todd | Carrick Suite | 20:45 | 21:45 | |||||
| All winners and adjudicators to gather at trophy table for group picture | Carrick Suite | 21:45 | 22:15 | |||||
| Entertainment – To be Decided | Carrick Suite | 22:15 | ||||||
SUNDAY 22nd MARCH | ||||||||
| Breakfast | Flemings Restaurant | 07:00 | 08:45 | |||||
| Welcome – Grahame Anderson – Announcements | Carrick Suite | 09:00 | 09:15 | |||||
| Q & A Panel – Simon Brett – Connor McAleese – Anne Hamilton – Emily Dodd | Carrick Suite | 09:15 | 10:15 | |||||
| Comfort Break and Networking | Tea and Coffee Stati | 10:15 | 10:40 | |||||
| FIRST SESSION OF SUNDAY WORKSHOPS | ||||||||
| Under Another Skin – the persona poem – Alison Chisolm | Carrick Suite 1 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Rebuffing Definition and Embracing Individuality – (Speculative Fiction) – Con | Carrick Suite 2 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Fantasy Worldbuilding and Mapmaking – Caroline Logan | Carrick Suite 3 | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Writing for young children – Emily Dodd | Clubroom | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| Controlling the Flow of Information – Simon Brett | Kelvin Suite | 10:45 | 11:45 | |||||
| One to One – Article – Gill Sherry – Session 3 | Carron Suite | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Article – Gill Sherry – Session 4 | Carron Suite | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| One to One – Drama – John Binnie – Session 3 | Campsie Suite | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Drama – John Binnie – Session 4 | Campsie Suite | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie Session 5 | Suite – to be advised | 10:45 | 11:05 | |||||
| One to One – Prose – AL Guthrie Session 6 | Suite – to be advised | 11:15 | 11:35 | |||||
| Free Time to Visit Bookshop – Networking – Introduce yourself to Someone Y | Foyer | 11:45 | 12:00 | |||||
| Lunch | Flemings Restaurant | 12:00 | 13:15 | |||||
| Dragons’ Pen | Carrick Suite 2 | 13:20 | 15:00 | |||||
Rallying Talk and Conference Close– Alex Gray | 15:00 | |||||||
