Writing Complex and Believable Characters in Fiction with Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (05 Sep 2026)

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:30:00 GMT

Writing Complex and Believable Characters in Fiction

In Person Workshop with Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

In this 2.5 hour workshop, New York Times bestselling author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé will show you how to build complex and believable characters in YA and adult fiction.

From writing exercises that will help you create a fully rendered three-dimensional protagonist as well as side characters, to looking at the anatomy of famous characters across media, this character workshop will arm participants with the necessary tools to develop their own cast of compelling and believable characters.

Faridah will also discuss why representation matters; and why readers deserve characters written with full complexity and honesty.

Leave with practical tools and prompts for your own work. Open to writers of all levels.

Time and Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026, 10:30 – 13:00

Workshop Fees: CHF 50 (Members) | CHF 70 (Non-Members)

Location: Foound, Rue Jean-Dassier 7, 1201, Geneva, Switzerland

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, International bestselling, & Award-winning author of ACE OF SPADES, WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE, FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL and THE HEIRS. She has also written stories for Marvel’s Spider-Verse and BBC’s Doctor Who. In 2026 she was selected for the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list. In 2024 she was a world book day author with her title THE DOOMSDAY DATE. Faridah is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate from a university in Scotland where she received a BA in English Literature. She also has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found playing the cello, competing in netball matches or examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

In-person Meet-up for GWG Members in German-speaking Cantons (05 Sep 2026)

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Meet-up for GWG Members in German-Speaking Cantons

In-Person

The next in-person meetup of the GWG Schreibfreunde – GWG members in German-speaking cantons – will be in Basel on Saturday September 5^th. We have reserved a meeting space in the heart of Basel’s Old Town for the day.

The Schreibfreunde grew out of conversations at the November 2025 GWG Conference, where several GWG members residing in northern Switzerland expressed an interest in attending local writing events. Author and writing teacher Valeria Vescina organized and led the first two successful gatherings of the group, held in Zurich and Lucerne earlier this year. Our meetups are an opportunity for GWG members to network with other writers in their region, build connections, and learn about both the craft of writing and the publishing industry.

The Basel session is being organized by Anita Breland, Chris Hartmann, and Laetitia Lehmann. Based on feedback from our previous meetings, we are planning a program with opportunities for sharing current work and letting your creativity flow.

Meeting Location: Centrepoint, Im Lohnhof 8, 4051 Basel

Meeting Date and Time: Saturday 5 September from 11:00 – 16:00
(Doors will open at 10:30. Coffee, tea and baked treats will be available.)

Cost to Attend: CHF 10 per person
(The event is open to GWG members only)

Event Capacity: 16 participants

We look forward to a productive and enjoyable day! Please reserve your place in advance. Payment will be requested one week prior to the event.

Geneva Writers Group upcoming events

Writing Complex and Believable Characters in Fiction with Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (05 Sep 2026)