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Join us at Buckingham Library on Saturday 10 October, from 10.30am to 2.30pm, for our Self-Published Authors Showcase, a special event celebrating local writers and the many different journeys into independent publishing.

The day will bring together self-published authors and organisations for panel discussions exploring different aspects of writing and publishing, from taking the first steps into self-publishing to bringing a book to life and finding readers.

10.30am – 10.55am | Coffee, Conversations & Authors’ Marketplace

10.55am – 11.00am | Welcome to Buckingham Library

11.00am – 11.30am | Organisation Spotlight & Panel 1: Taking the Leap into Self-Publishing

What does it take to turn an idea into a published book?

Our panel of self-published authors will share their experiences of taking that first leap, including some of the challenges they encountered, what they learnt along the way and the advice they would give to writers considering self-publishing.

11.30am – 12.00pm | Authors’ Marketplace, Book Sales & Signings

12.00pm – 12.30pm | Organisation Spotlight & Panel 2: Bringing a Book to Life

From the first spark of an idea to the finished book, there is a lot that happens behind the scenes.

This panel will explore the creative and practical journey of bringing a book to life, as authors share their experiences, approaches and perspectives along the way.

12.30pm – 1.00pm | Authors’ Marketplace, Book Sales & Signings

1.00pm – 1.30pm | Organisation Spotlight & Panel 3: Finding Readers and Building an Author Platform

Publishing your book is only part of the journey. How do you then find your readers?

Our panellists will discuss their experiences of promoting their work, connecting with readers and building their profile as independent authors.

1.30pm – 2.30pm | Authors’ Marketplace, Book Sales & Final Signings

Denise Beddows
Former researcher, investigator and intelligence analyst, now an author of espionage fiction, cosy crime fiction and true crime, Denise Beddows has experience both of self-publishing and being published by an independent publishing house. All six of her espionage novels made Amazon’s Top 5 best seller list, two of them hitting the No 1 best seller spot, and one of them – ‘Shearwater Point’ – attracted two readers’ awards. Also, she has twice been shortlisted in the True Crime Awards. She helps run Chalfont St Giles & Jordans Literary Festival, devised the Chiltern Kills crime writing festival and organises regular ‘Meet the Author’ events at Chalfont St Peter Community Library.

Meriet Duncan
Meriet Duncan is a children’s author, speaker and beekeeper, best known for her Betsie Valentine series, inspired by the extraordinary world of honeybees.

Before becoming an author, Meriet spent more than 20 years as a professional photographer until, as she says, “the honeybees found her”. Her Betsie Valentine books have taken inspiration from the British countryside to Uganda, the setting for the third and final book in the trilogy, Betsie Valentine and the Honeybees of Hope.

As a self-published author, Meriet has been involved in every stage of bringing her books to life and now speaks at schools, libraries, community groups and events across the UK, talking about her books, her bees and why these extraordinary little creatures matter so much.

And, as Meriet likes to say, perhaps the bees were always meant to find her — she was born in Honeypot Lane!

Matthew Hillsdon
Matthew Hillsdon is a fantasy indie author from Marlow, Buckinghamshire. He has independently published eight novels and four collections of short stories set in the world of Alidor. His latest release is the graphic novel Alidor The Forbidden Friend illustrated by Oxford based artist Norm Chung and serves as a prologue to the Alidor series. Matthew hosts Marlow Indie Book Fair each September and this year has been the most successful yet with around 200 visitors and over 20 authors attending. He is currently working on his second graphic novel and the epic final instalment of the main Alidor series as well as multiple other projects looking to raise the profile of indie authors.

Kam Bhui
The Maharaja’s Bodyguard draws on his Punjabi India and Sikh heritage, with a new kind of hero in a dual time fantasy thriller. Kam is married, living with his wife, two children, and two bunnies in a leafy Buckinghamshire village. He is of Indian Sikh heritage, born in Kenya, schooled in Buckinghamshire, and studied in London universities. Kam originally trained as a psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and now works as a research professor at University of Oxford, drawing on the arts and humanities in health research.

B.B. Elsin
B.B Elsin is the author of historical fantasy “Heroes and Traitors”. She also writes short fiction, poetry and “The History Elf” blog. Her work has been included in several anthologies and she is a regular contributor to BBC Upload. A semi-retired academic, Beth turned to creative writing after experiencing sudden hearing loss and a late diagnosis of autism. She attributes her successes over the past three years to the patience of writing tutors, supportive friends, and wonderful local writing groups. She loves to re-write events and re-work real characters to produce political intrigue and personal quests in historical contexts.

Under her real name, Beth Rogers, she is an author of several business textbooks and handbooks. As a history enthusiast, she gives talks to local groups to raise awareness about the English Civil Wars.

Guy Gratton
Guy Gratton has spent his life in aviation, often writing about it. He published his first articles on outdoor sports at the age of 17 in 1988, and whilst studying aeronautical engineering financed his hobbies writing for magazines. Working as an aeronautical engineer, he also learned to fly - starting with a brief period in the Royal Air Force, but later qualified as a commercial and test pilot. His first book was on flying microlight aeroplanes, followed by some textbooks and encyclopaedia chapters on engineering. His professional life has taken him around a lot of the world, and let him work on or fly a lot of civil and military aeroplanes. This has all led to him currently working as Professor of Aircraft Test and Evaluation at Cranfield University, as well as giving him a lot of the material to write his first novel, Wings on a Mountain, published in June 2026. He's planning that to be a series, with the sequel, Wings on an Island, due to be published in May 2027. He's also still writing non-fiction; currently working on an updated textbook on aircraft certification, and this year winning an award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for a paper on ethics in flight testing.

Sue Wright
Sue Wright, an academic by profession, has written a number of books and articles about nationalism and language. She is now retired and has turned to writing novels. Legacy is her second. She lives in a flat in the manor house once owned by John Galsworthy and, as he discovered, it’s a great place to invent stories. However, this present story isn’t all invention. It draws heavily her work in the Balkans in the 1990s, where she witnessed the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the suffering of a war where neighbours turned upon one other.

David Liston
David Liston was born and educated near The Oval cricket ground in South London. After leaving the local grammar school, he spent forty years in the stockbroking industry, first as a successful fund manager and then as an equity research analyst, where he covered the food and drink sectors. Besides food and drink, David’s interests include sport — mainly cricket and golf — and global travel.

After retirement, an Open University course in Creative Writing and enrolment in the Writer’s Village led to David entering several short story competitions, and eventually, to his first book.

Loose Ends leans heavily on his experiences in the financial world and his travel interests.

David now lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Linda, in an area of outstanding natural beauty—a far cry from his youth amongst the council estates of South London.

*Author biographies have been provided by the participating authors.

In between panel discussions, take time to explore our Authors' Marketplace, meet local authors, discover their books, and purchase signed copies directly from the writers.

It's a fantastic opportunity to chat to the people behind the books, discover something new to read and support writers from our local community.

Whether you're thinking about publishing your own book, already on your self-publishing journey, or simply looking for your next great read, the Self-Published Authors Showcase is an opportunity to hear from local writers, ask questions, make connections and celebrate the creativity in our local community.

Saturday 10 October
10.30am–2.30pm
Buckingham Library

We look forward to welcoming you!