GREAT DUNMOW BOOKFEST AUTHORS
FANTASY,
SCI FI, HORROR
& FOLKLORE
Eleanor Conlon
Adult Fiction & Podcast
Folklore
Eleanor and Martin are the hosts of the Three Ravens Podcast. They have also written and toured original theatre. They are also co-authors of The Three Ravens Folk Tales, new tellings of half-forgotten stories from England's 39 historic counties. Released in 2025 by UK publisher The History Press, the stories span centuries, styles, tones, and genres, making them perfect for bedtimes or curling up on the sofa.
Martin Vaux
Adult Fiction & Podcast
Folklore
Eleanor and Martin are the hosts of the Three Ravens Podcast. They have also written and toured original theatre. They are also co-authors of The Three Ravens Folk Tales, new tellings of half-forgotten stories from England's 39 historic counties. Launched in 2023, Three Ravens is an independent myth and folklore with each weekly episode focusing on a historic county, exploring its history, folklore and traditions.
John Tarrow
Young Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
John Tarrow is an English novelist, poet, storyteller and creator of “Britain’s Most Extraordinary Home” [The Times], Talliston House & Gardens. His young adult fantasy novels, The Talliston Chronicles, are the first fiction books set in the town of Great Dunmow. The books are set in a world hiding in plain sight, filled with myths and monsters, and heroes battling to save the last magical places on Earth.
Alan Beresford
Adult Fiction
Horror
Living in rural Essex with his wife, Sara, Alan is a science doctorate who spent a career in cardiovascular research. Combining his scientific background with his love of Victorian Gothic Horror, and writing under the name Jacob Van Helsing, he has created Vampire tales where these creatures of gothic fantasy withstand the scrutiny of modern science.
Keith Brooke
Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Keith Brooke is the author of Philip K Dick Award-shortlisted novel Harmony (published in the UK as alt.human, Solaris). His collaborative works written with Eric Brown include futuristic crime novel Wormhole (Angry Robot, 2022). He lives in coastal East Anglia. Member of Dead East, an Anglian Crime Writers Collective.
Murray Fisher
Children's Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Murray is an author and film producer living in the picturesque village of Finchingfield with his wife, daughter, a rambunctious puppy, and an unusually large cat. His debut novel, Underlings: The Spark Engine, is an exciting sci-fi adventure for ages 9+.
Peter F. Hamilton
Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Peter F. Hamilton published his first novel, Mindstar Rising, a near-future thriller, in 1993. After that he moved into the Space Opera genre, and with a couple of diversions into a children's magical fantasy trilogy and YA, he's now published over thirty books. His latest novels are The Archimedes Engine & The Helium Sea, set in the universe of Exodus, a sci-fi action-adventure RPG from Archetype Entertainment.
Aki McKenzi
Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Aki McKenzi is a writer from Tiptree. The first two books of their debut novel series – World's End: The Legacy of the Neo Warriors – are out and available. Currently they are working on a modern adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops To Conquer.
Anna Smith Spark
Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Anna Smith Spark is the critically acclaimed, multi-award shortlisted author of the folk-horror high-fantasy series A Sword of Bronze and Ashes and A Sword of Gold and Ruin; and the grimdark epic fantasy series The Court of Broken Knives, The Tower of Living and Dying, The House of Sacrifice, A Woman of the Sword.
Gabrielle Steele
Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Gabrielle Steele lives in Essex with her husband and two mischievous younglings. She writes epic fantasy and speculative shorts, pitting poor souls against dragons, gods, and the occasional horde of squirrels, and she released her debut novel, Reborn in Ash, in October 2025.
Anka B. Troitsky
Adult & Young Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Anka B. Troitsky moved to the UK in 1993. A former science teacher, translator, gamer and lifelong reader, she writes thought-provoking science fiction that can make readers pleasantly uncomfortable. Her series blends dystopia, psychology and dark imagination. Her humorous fantasy adventures are for readers who enjoy wit alongside wonder.
Sarah Wragg
Poetry & Adult Fiction
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Sarah has created more ghosts than you can shake a haunted stick at. She now has three poetry chapbooks about ghosts: Gottle of Geer, following in the footsteps of Ghost Walk and hot on the heels of the collaborative, Unheimlich at Home (Beautiful Dragons Press, 2025). Also, under her pen name of R D Gray, comes her ghost story collection: The Festival Line and Other Ghostly Tales.