I should start off by saying that I am writing as me, and not in any way on behalf of the Penzance Litfest. I say that, because this probably isn't going to make me popular with some of the Writing fraternity, and I wouldn't want that to reflect on any of the other people giving their time to make the Litfest happen.
I am a writer. I'm not earning much from my writing yet, and in order to live I also do Marketing Consultancy and Commercial Copywriting - for which I can earn a reasonable day rate. Certainly far more than from my writing at the moment, although I hope that will change.
I see a lot of Twitter and Facebook ramblings from other writers and people in the writing business. Currently there is a lot of talk about writers being expected to work for free. This, I agree, is a bad thing.
However, one of the targets is Literary Festivals, and at this point my loyalties become divided as I am co-Chair of the Penzance Literary Festival.
Penzance is a poor area. People don't have high disposable incomes but they are interested in art, culture, literature and have supported the Litfest for the past 4 years, and we hope they will this year, in its 5th year.
It is a community event, put on and run by people who give time, energy, professional skills, commitment FOR FREE.
The Litfest doesn't set out to make any money and it doesn't. It isn't supported by anybody, but relies on ticket sales to pay for venues, and programmes, and all the other things that are needed for a five day, 100 session event. Ticket prices are low because people don't have much money, and we want locals to come. We certainly don't want residents to let out their homes in Litfest week to visitors, as we understand happens in some places. We welcome visitors too, and lots of visitors come, but our primary target audience is the Penzance and West Cornwall residents.
Until this year, our Contributors were happy to enter into the spirit of the Litfest, and shared its community ethos. We've had all sorts of people who have come to this beautiful area of the country to sit on our platforms, to talk about their writing, and their books, and their enthusiasms, and had a very good time.
But this year, people are wanting to be paid, being strident and angry about it, talking as if Literary Festivals are trying to rip them off.
I thought getting involved in a Litfest helped writers, it gave them access to the audiences, a platform to talk about their work. But now, apparently Literary Festival organisers are the bad guys.
Well, let me tell you, our Litfest organisers are marvellous. They/we all work really hard to put on this event, for no money, no reward, and apparently, as of this year, no thanks.
And I feel like a complete mug. I've been giving up my own writing time, and my earning time, to the tune of one or two days a week since November. That is unusual, and is because I'm co-Chair. In past years, I've been involved just in Press & Publicity and the workload was lighter - but still significant.
I did it willingly until this issue started to prevail. But I don't want to give my professional skills for free any more for months on end, if the contributors don't want to sell their books for free for a couple of hours.
We're not Hay, or Oxford, or Cheltenham. Session prices are £3-5.00, not £12-15.00. Perhaps the big boys do make money. Perhaps contributors have a case in those instances.
But I suspect the truth is, more Litfests work like ours does, than work like those three.
In my opinion, if we pay Contributors, we should also pay organisers. It's far less fun sorting out insurance and contracts than it is standing on a platform talking for an hour or two, so its only fair. I know, I do both.
And in order to do that, ticket prices would become prohibitive. So people wouldn't come. And the small Literary Festivals wouldn't be able to operate. And instead of around 250 Literary Festivals there would probably just be a few giants where writers would be desperate to get a slot - and almost certainly wouldn't be arguing about payment.
So here's my view. No speaker is forced to come. They are invited - usually in response to an approach either from themselves or their publisher.
As a Literary Festival we should accept that we can only have contributors who share our ethos, and appreciate the effort we make to offer them a platform.
As an independent writer, I should only undertake to participate in Literary Festivals that are close to my home, or that I want to be at enough to make the time and commitment myself.
For traditionally published writers, you have the option of asking for publisher support, which one or two of our contributors this year have successfully received.
As I said, it's just my view. And it does involve a café as I'll be at the Lost & Found, Chapel St. talking about the Litfest with members of the Penzance Literary Festival Association this afternoon - a bunch of brilliant people who also give their time, ideas, and energy to bring this lovely, local Litfest to life.
