Milford Writer's Workshop
Encyclopedia
The Milford Writer's Workshop or more properly Milford Writers' Conference is an influential science fiction
writer's event founded by Damon Knight
among others in the mid-1950s in Milford, Pennsylvania
. It moved to the UK in 1972 and has run successfully ever since on an annual basis.
It is both a residential workshop and a writers' conference in which published SF writers get together over the course of a week to intensively critique stories and samples from novels (usually works in progress) and to workshop ideas on all aspects of SF writing. It is a peer-to-peer conference with no teachers or students.
There is an honorary committee, elected annually at the AGM held during the Milford week. The 2010-2011 committee consists of: Sue Thomason (Chair), Liz Williams (Secretary), Steve Kilbane (Treasurer), Jacey Bedford (Website and Mailing Lists), Kari Sperring and Karen Williams.
Participants must have sold at least one SF story to qualify for attendance, and newcomers to publication are welcomed, but participants often have multiple novel and short story sales to their credit.
Milford participants in the USA (pre-1972) include James Blish, AJ Budrys, Jack Dann
, Lester DelRey, Tom Disch, Gardner Dozois
, George Alec Effinger
, Carol and Ed Emshwiller, Harlan Ellison
, Katherine MacLean
, Anne McCaffrey
, Judith Merril
, Frederik Pohl, Gene Wolfe
and many others. Milford was the model for other peer-to-peer SF writer workshops, including the Turkey City Writer's Workshop
. It was so named because Merril, Knight, and Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania
when it was founded.
In 1972 James Blish
set up the United Kingdom
Milford SF Writers' Conference, initially meeting in Milford on Sea
, Hampshire
. Since then it has been held in various locations, latterly Devon
until 2001, York
in 2002 and 2003, and (since 2004) at Trigonos Conference Centre in North Wales, usually in late September. Participants in the UK have included Tom Arden
, John Brunner (novelist)
, John Clute
, Jaine Fenn
, Neil Gaiman
, Mary Gentle
, Ben Jeapes
, Diana Wynne Jones
, Gwyneth Jones
, David Langford
, Anne McCaffrey
, George R. R. Martin
, Alastair Reynolds
, Charles Stross
, Karen Traviss
, Kari Sperring, Bruce Sterling
, Liz Williams
and Patricia Wrede
amongst many others.
The so-called "Milford method" is presently used by several writers' groups, including the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer's event founded by Damon Knight
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
among others in the mid-1950s in Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford is a borough in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat. Its population was 1,021 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1796 by Judge John Biddis, one of the state's first four circuit judges, who named the settlement after his ancestral home in Wales.Milford has a...
. It moved to the UK in 1972 and has run successfully ever since on an annual basis.
It is both a residential workshop and a writers' conference in which published SF writers get together over the course of a week to intensively critique stories and samples from novels (usually works in progress) and to workshop ideas on all aspects of SF writing. It is a peer-to-peer conference with no teachers or students.
There is an honorary committee, elected annually at the AGM held during the Milford week. The 2010-2011 committee consists of: Sue Thomason (Chair), Liz Williams (Secretary), Steve Kilbane (Treasurer), Jacey Bedford (Website and Mailing Lists), Kari Sperring and Karen Williams.
Participants must have sold at least one SF story to qualify for attendance, and newcomers to publication are welcomed, but participants often have multiple novel and short story sales to their credit.
Milford participants in the USA (pre-1972) include James Blish, AJ Budrys, Jack Dann
Jack Dann
Jack Dann is an American writer best known for his science fiction, an editor and a writing teacher, who has lived in Australia since 1994. He has published over seventy books, in the majority of cases as editor or co-editor of story anthologies in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres...
, Lester DelRey, Tom Disch, Gardner Dozois
Gardner Dozois
Gardner Raymond Dozois is an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004...
, George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger was an American science fiction author, born in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio.-Writing career:...
, Carol and Ed Emshwiller, Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, Katherine MacLean
Katherine MacLean
Katherine Anne MacLean is an American science fiction author best known for her short fiction of the 1950s which examined the impact of technological advances on individuals and society.-Profile:...
, Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
, Judith Merril
Judith Merril
Judith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....
, Frederik Pohl, Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the...
and many others. Milford was the model for other peer-to-peer SF writer workshops, including the Turkey City Writer's Workshop
Turkey City Writer's Workshop
Turkey City Writer's Workshop is a peer-to-peer, professional science fiction writer's workshop in Texas. Founded in 1973 and still ongoing today, it was consciously modeled after the east coast Milford Writer's Workshop...
. It was so named because Merril, Knight, and Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford, Pennsylvania
Milford is a borough in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat. Its population was 1,021 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1796 by Judge John Biddis, one of the state's first four circuit judges, who named the settlement after his ancestral home in Wales.Milford has a...
when it was founded.
In 1972 James Blish
James Blish
James Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
set up the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Milford SF Writers' Conference, initially meeting in Milford on Sea
Milford on Sea
Milford on Sea is a large village and civil parish located on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. With a population of approximately 4500, Milford has a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs in its high street, which borders the village green.-Overview:Milford on Sea is village...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Since then it has been held in various locations, latterly Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
until 2001, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 2002 and 2003, and (since 2004) at Trigonos Conference Centre in North Wales, usually in late September. Participants in the UK have included Tom Arden
Tom Arden
Tom Arden is the pseudonym of a British science fiction and fantasy writer, who was born in Australia. His main work is the five volume Orokon saga, as well as the novels Shadow Black, The Translation of Bastian Test and the Doctor Who novella Nightdreamers.Arden was born in 1966 and grew up in...
, John Brunner (novelist)
John Brunner (novelist)
John Kilian Houston Brunner was a prolific British author of science fiction novels and stories. His 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, about an overpopulated world, won the 1968 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel. It also won the BSFA award the same year...
, John Clute
John Clute
John Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."...
, Jaine Fenn
Jaine Fenn
Jaine Fenn is a British science fiction author.Fenn studied Linguistics and Astronomy at the University of Hertfordshire, where she became the president of PSiFA from 1984-1985...
, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, Mary Gentle
Mary Gentle
-Literary career:Mary Gentle's first published novel was Hawk in Silver , a young-adult fantasy. She came to prominence with the Orthe duology, which consists of Golden Witchbreed and Ancient Light ....
, Ben Jeapes
Ben Jeapes
Ben Jeapes is an English science fiction writer living in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.-Early life and education:According to the Biography section on his website, Jeapes was born in Belfast in 1965. He was educated at Hampton Dene Primary School, Hereford, Little Chalfont Primary School, Lorraine...
, Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones was a British writer, principally of fantasy novels for children and adults, as well as a small amount of non-fiction...
, Gwyneth Jones
Gwyneth Jones (novelist)
Gwyneth Jones is an English science fiction and fantasy writer and critic, and a young adult/children's writer under the name Ann Halam.-Biography and writing career:...
, David Langford
David Langford
David Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:...
, Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
, George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland...
, Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
, Karen Traviss
Karen Traviss
Karen Traviss is a science fiction author, and full-time novelist from Wiltshire, England. Originally from the Portsmouth area, Traviss worked as both a journalist and defence correspondent before turning her attention to writing fiction. She also served in both the Territorial Army and the Royal...
, Kari Sperring, Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
, Liz Williams
Liz Williams
Dr Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. The Ghost Sister, her first novel, was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.Williams is the daughter of a stage...
and Patricia Wrede
Patricia Wrede
Patricia Collins Wrede is an American fantasy writer from Chicago, Illinois.The eldest of five children, she graduated from Carleton College in 1974 with a BA in Biology, married James Wrede in 1976 , and obtained an MBA from University of Minnesota in 1977.She finished her first book in 1978,...
amongst many others.
Milford Rules
Manuscripts are distributed beforehand. Everyone reads, critiques and prepares before the formal workshop begins. It is etiquette not to discuss the manuscripts beforehand either with the author or other members of the critique group. The participants sit round in a circle. The author whose work is being critiqued has to sit in silence through the first part in which each participant in turn is allowed an uninterrupted four minutes (timed) to deliver their critique. Then the author gets uninterrupted right of reply. Following that a general discussion ensues. Constructive criticism is strongly encouraged. In the last few years it has become accepted for the critiqued manuscripts to be given back to the author complete with notes.The so-called "Milford method" is presently used by several writers' groups, including the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle
Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle
The Glasgow Science Fiction Writers’ Circle is a group of amateur, semi-professional, and professional fiction authors that has met regularly in Glasgow, Scotland since 1987....
.