J. C. O’Neill is an independent author of modern Gothic fantasy and historical romantic thrillers. She only began writing to amuse a relative following their cancer diagnosis, but a few chapters turned into two series of books. She has degrees in law and medicine and had the privilege of working for the National Health Service for thirty-two years. She lives, works and writes in Sheffield, but was born in Cumbria, so is a true Northerner. She has three kids, one dog, a Mr O’Neill and a fondness for McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives. She didn’t mean to write a modern Gothic fantasy trilogy; it wrote her.

“C Fleming has been writing fiction since junior school, even forming a “writers’ circle” with classmates at thirteen. Her professional career has spanned broadcast journalism, PR and publicity, and more recently transport behaviour change and social marketing.

Writing remains a passion and a source of enjoyment in her spare time. She has published four novels in the past 12 years, with a 5th about to launch.

Her first published novel, Dark Horse, received enthusiastic feedback, followed by Drowning in 2016, a humorous and thought-provoking story set against the backdrop of the environmental crisis. In 2020, she published a sequel, Staying on Track, revisiting the characters of Dark Horse and introducing the memorable Moody Muppet.

Her nostalgic 1980s novel What About Jayne? was published in 2023. She is now set to publish a new novel, Gordon’s Gift, featuring a male protagonist with an extraordinary ability. Chat to Claire to find out more!”

Breakthrough is a collective of authors that has created an innovative, award-winning independent publisher putting freedom and fairness for creatives – and quality and originality for readers – at the heart of its ethos. A diverse and eclectic list includes fiction and non-fiction, debuts and series, YA and adult sci-fi/fantasy, love stories, mysteries and thrillers, humour and satire, business books and short story anthologies.

Recent launches include Awakenings: why neopaganism and the folklore renaissance matter by Stevyn Colgan (who will be on stand), Curious Events Lately Occurring in this Neighbourhood by the Sunday Times bestselling Tom Cox, the award-winning surreal satire collection from Zena Barrie (also on stand) and romcom The Earth Husband by Dan Brotzel (also at the fair!) among nearly 20 other titles.

Marian Eastwood is the founder of the Oxford Poetry Circle in Oxford, UK and hosts monthly poetry and open mic events with featured poets.

Her debut poetry collection. Secret Codes was published last June 2025.

She served as a Labour Attaché for the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and other International Orgsnisations for seven years in Geneva, Switzerland after being the Welfare Officer for the Philippine Consulate in Milan Italy.

She founded the Boracay Paraw Regatta and International Arts Festival and managed it for seven years from 1992-1998, on Boracay Island in the Philippines.

After 40 years (and counting!) of writing scientific papers, books and patents where almost every sentence needs to be justified with a reference, I suppose I longed for being able to write something which did not have any boundaries. Having recently become a part-time consultant scientist and with all four children having now left our house, there is some time for me to let my mind wander through those things that do not need to be proved; do not have to be true. But the scientist in me hasn’t allowed me to stray that far from the truth or reality and that’s pretty much how I ended up writing ‘A Painkiller to Die For’ (2025). This was my second published novel after ‘A Practical Arrangement’ which came out towards the end of 2023 under the nom de plume of Verity Trevethan.

My third novel, ‘The Disappearance of Sarah Griffiths,’ has a publication date of 28th November and also has a smattering of science running through the plot. My editor has labelled this book as ‘Gone Girl meets Breaking Bad’ and I think I can see where she is coming from. It is a dark, domestic noir based around a young married couple whose comfortable existence is crumbling around them. The life changing events lead to the wife’s disappearance and a criminal investigation looking into the death of a small-time drug dealer. The novel asks questions to just how far we’ll go to protect the ones we love and the lives we’ve built and what we become when they start to fall apart.

Francis Towne’s Lake District Sketchbook, published by the Winterbourne Press in a limited edition, is a beautifully crafted book. The exquisite watercolour illustrations, reproduced at actual size from the 1786 originals, are accompanied by an Introduction and Commentary. A two-volume signed and numbered special edition, hand-bound in a slip case, will also be available at the fair at a cut price, as long as stocks last.