Help us choose a collective noun for a group of authors!

17th May 2017

There are some wonderful buildings in London that are just made for hosting events. Waterstones Piccadilly has the 5th View Bar and Restaurant, with wonderful views over London towards Westminster Abbey. As the sun was going down over the capital we were delighted to get together with Head of Zeus Publishers (who are incidentally Independent Publisher of the Year 2017!) who brought together some of their popular crime writers. A real identity parade of quality writers.

The crime scene was set. The photographer on hand. The backdrop of police tape marked the crime scene… and amongst all this were ‘some’ authors.

Photo courtesy Susanna Sangster

Now, we suddenly realised that there is no official collective noun for a gathering of authors. Could it be a “Block (or Bloque) of Authors” as someone suggested? No, too negative. A “Murder of Writers”, as in a murder of crows perhaps – too scary, I think. So I publicised my dilemma on one of the Facebook Groups to which I belong and WE HAVE A LIST of potentials!

We would like to now ask you to vote on the ultimate collective noun to denote a group of authors, it’s sorely lacking. Let’s remedy the situation. Oh, and meet the group of authors that prompted this post!

Featuring among others (and in no particular order) C J Box (loving his stetson, all the way from Wyoming); Adam LeBor; Lesley Thomson; Stefan Ahnheim; Clare Carson; Anthony Quinn; J S Monroe: and Mark Oldfield..

Vote now for the best collection noun, “a ….. of authors” (and goodness there are many to choose from, some are just so creative!!! I have however not included A BAR full… and WINE AFICIONADOS, CHATTERBOXES thank you for those!! LOL)

1. A PEN of authors
2. A CHAPTER of authors
3. A LIBRARY of authors
4. A QUILL of authors
5. An EXCELLENCE of authors
6. A PROCRASTINATION of authors
7. A CONJUGATION of authors
8. A CONJUNCTION of authors
9. A STORY of authors
10. A BOOK-LOAD of authors
11. A REAM of authors
12. A BLOG of authors
13. A DRAFT of authors
14. A SCRIBBLE of authors
15. A CABAL of authors
16. A VOLUME of authors
17. A PERSUASION of authors
18. An IMAGINATION of authors
19. An EPIC of authors
20. A BOUQUET of authors
21. An OBSESSION of authors
22. A SIGNATURE of authors
23. A MUSE of authors
24. A DESPERATION of authors
25. A DASH of authors
26. An ANTHOLOGY of authors
27. A SCRIBE of writers
28. A WRITHE/WRYTHE of authors (although for alliteration purposes it would A Writhe of Writers)
29. A GHOST of authors (suggested in the context of gnats!)
30. A CLIQUE of authors
31. A QWERTY of authorsfau
32. A PLOT of authors
33. A SHELF of authors
34. A CHATTERING of authors
35. A LEXICON of authors

We had to limit the choice to the first 35 suggestions received!

VOTE NOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! By Saturday, 27th May and we will announce the WINNER on Sunday 28th. And let’s get the people’s choice into common parlance thereafter.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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