85 Academics courses near Manchester delivered Live Online

LOOKING FOR: PICTURE BOOK TEXTS / ILLUSTRATIONS Lucy Brownridge is Editorial Director at Wide Eyed Editions and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, and formerly Thames & Hudson where she helped to establish the Children’s list. She has developed and edited books for children with Alan Ahlberg, Quentin Blake, Mariajo Ilustrajo, Kristjana S Williams, Bob & Roberta Smith, Yuval Zommer and Joe Coelho among others. She is the author of The Cat Family series, and many non-fiction titles for children. She is interested in the history of picture books and is always looking for innovative ways to use the book format. Her favourite books are funny, deceptively simple, thoughtfully written, distinctively illustrated and encourage a love for reading both words and pictures. Lucy would like you to submit the following depending on whether you are a picture book writer / illustrator or both. ABOUT YOU Include a covering letter, in a word document, telling Lucy about yourself and your sources of inspiration. If you have one, include a link to your website. She is keen to read stories she hasn't seen before or see artwork with a distinctive style rather than something that fits with trends. She has particular experience with picture books and illustrated narrative non-fiction. AUTHORS Please send a full manuscript (or 3), in a word document, starting with a short summary/blurb. Make the summary punchy and engaging. Remember that the best picture book stories are simple and every word should count. Do you see this book as part of a series? ILLUSTRATORS If you have a picture book idea please send a story board and a summary of the story. Please send a diverse selection of artworks from your portfolio. It is useful to see examples of the following: people of different ages and ethnicities, character studies showing a range of clothes and expressions, animals, a selection of everyday objects, wide-angle vistas, an example of a book cover (i.e. a classic book reimagined). Please send these in PDF where possible. (In addition to the paid sessions, Lucy is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 23rd April 2025

LOOKING FOR: YA, ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Laura Williams is literary agent at the Greene and Heaton Literary Agency. She is seeking literary fiction, commercial fiction, psychological thrillers and high concept Young Adult. Laura is actively building a fiction list and a small non-fiction list. She is currently looking for literary fiction, edgy commercial fiction, psychological thrillers and high-concept contemporary young adult, as well as narrative non-fiction of all types. Her taste is quite dark, and she loves gothic, ghost stories, horror and anything sinister. She also loves books that make her cry, from big love stories to intense family dramas. She is open to historical or horror YA, but not magical or fantasy.  Meditative or moving novels about modern life, appeal to Laura, sad stories with love and the importance of caring for each other shining through. She also loves stories about female friendships or conversely groups of women who don't get on, such as the hugely fun BAD SUMMER PEOPLE by Emma Rosenblum. She is always on the lookout for a big tragic love story to make her cry happy or sad tears. At the more commercial end of fiction, think funny novels with warmth and romantic comedies with a bit of depth – think Marian Keyes. Most of all Laura is looking for novels she hasn’t read before – something unusual structurally or thematically, something that shines a light on a subject the author is passionate about, something that’ll break her heart or raise her blood in an entirely new way. Laura is always looking to promote diverse voices from across the globe, and is particularly keen on LGBTQI+ stories. Laura would like you to submit a covering letter, a 1-2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Laura is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 23rd April 2025

LOOKING FOR: PICTURE BOOKS, CHAPTER BOOKS, MG, YA Lil is a Senior Editor at Hachette Children's. She has well over 15 years experience in the publishing industry, working for major publishers and literary agents too.  For twelve years, Lil was a Senior Commissioning Editor at Working Partners Ltd – the creatives behind massive commercial hits such as Beast Quest, Warriors and the Daisy Meadows series. There she created globally successful concepts for every age group and developed storylines so the books were unputdownable. Lil is also an author in her own right: she has written 6 books under her own name, and ghost written many others under various pseudonyms.  In every age level, Lil would like to see originality - particularly in voice. A strong character with depth, venturing on a quest that's never been undertaken before will get her excited. The 'quest' doesn't have to be epic in scale, it could be as small as petting the next-door neighbour's dog, or getting the good looking new kid to notice you, it just has to be something a reader will want to invest in. She also loves humour and is happy to see anything quirky (perhaps even downright silly!).  For picture books, Lil would like you to submit a covering letter, and 1 complete manuscript, double-spaced, with spreads marked out, in a single word or PDF doc. For chapter books, MG and YA, please send a covering letter, the first three chapters and a synopsis, double spaced, in a single Word or PDF doc. Please send EITHER picture books OR another genre, not both in one submission. By booking this session you agree to email your material to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline to agent121@iaminprint.co.uk. Please note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice given in your Agent121. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 23rd April 2025

This Level 4 course aims to equip professionals with the knowledge about the skills and practical behaviours which are required for them to step into a leadership/management role. The demand for management roles is expected to grow in the coming years. This is due to a number of factors, including: The ageing population, which is leading to a shortage of skilled workers. The increasing complexity of businesses requires more managers to oversee operations. The growing importance of technology is creating new opportunities for managers to lead and innovate.

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Nicky Lovick has worked as an editor for over twenty years, working for top five publishers. She is now an agent at WGM Talent, building the books list. She is looking for commercial fiction, from upmarket women’s fiction, bookclub, romance, domestic noir and psychological thrillers, to crime series. She loves hooky stories such as Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid and Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware set in confined settings, such as hotels. She’s always on the lookout for romcoms with a fresh, contemporary feel to them such as Emily Henry’s Book Lovers. Also historical fiction with a twist and sweeping family sagas. Nicky wants you to make her laugh, make her cry or keep her hooked.  Nicky would like you to submit a covering letter, 1-2 page synopsis and the opening three chapters of your manuscript in a single word document.  (In addition to the paid sessions, Nicky is kindly offering one free session for low income/underrepresented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Monday 21st April 2025

LOOKING FOR: MG, YA, ADULT FICTION, ADULT NON-FICTION, NON-FICTION FOR 7+ Megan Carroll is looking for writers in a variety of areas, and from a wide range of backgrounds – she is particularly keen to hear from Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ writers. Her main areas of focus this year are adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as non-fiction for 7+, and MG and YA fiction. In Fiction, Megan is keen to see high-concept love stories (think The Flat Share or The Lock In) for both commercial and reading group readers. She’d love to see those familiar romance tropes – enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, love triangles, forbidden love etc. – with underrepresented characters at the centre. She is also looking for historical fiction and gothic horror (think Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Silvia Moreno-Garcia) – anything that has a creepy, uneasy undertone is likely for Megan’s list. Megan is also actively looking for upmarket fiction and would love to see layered family drama, contemporary stories about life today and darkly comic novels that explore a specific time, place or experience. In Non-Fiction, Megan is keen to hear from experts in their field talking about topics relating to film, music, true crime, popular culture, history and issues from largely unrepresented perspectives. She is keen to see memoir, narrative non-fiction and essay collections. In Children’s and YA, she is keen to see contemporary YA with humour, and romance at the heart – fun and emotional stories that appeal to the interests and issues of the teenage readers. She’d also love to see thrillers and horror stories for this age group too. It’s unlikely that high fantasy novels for YA readers will be right for her, but she is keen to see stories with fantasy elements in a real world setting. On the younger end, Megan is looking for funny, contemporary middle grade – think Louise Rennison and Karen McCombie – and anything creepy and spooky for 8-12 year old readers too. She’d love to find something like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and is keen to find original adventure stories in both fantasy and realistic settings. Megan would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters or 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Megan is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Thursday 24th April 2025

Data has become the most important resource for every organisation – but the insights gained from data analysis will only ever be truly valuable if they can be clearly expressed to other people.  This course is for anybody who works with data, and needs to communicate the meaning that's in the numbers to colleagues, customers, bosses or external stakeholders.  It will give you or your team the confidence and skills to translate raw data into compelling visual stories for your key audiences. The principles and skills covered apply to the simplest PowerPoint chart, to more complex interactive visualisations.  We’ll work with you before the course to ensure that we understand your organisation and what you’re hoping to achieve.  Sample learning content Session 1: What makes a great data-driven story The key elements of a successful infographic or presentation. Industry best practice, and discussion of good (and bad) examples. A simple framework for identifying the Audience, Story and Action. Session 2: Data in context How to balance function and aesthetic appeal. Identifying the right graph, chart, infographic or other visual. Framing the data and providing contextual information. Session 3: Designing for the human brain Using colours to add emphasis and meaning. Design and layout principles, and creating hierarchies of information. The principle of ‘self-sufficiency’, and removing clutter. Session 4: Navigation and narrative Tailoring visualisations for different types of communications. Structuring presentations and longer reports. Thinking in layers to create interactive dashboards. Delivery We deliver our courses over Zoom, to maximise flexibility. The training can be delivered in a single day, or across multiple sessions. All of our courses are live and interactive – every session includes a mix of formal tuition and hands-on exercises. To ensure this is possible, the number of attendees is capped at 16 people.  Tutor Alan Rutter is the founder of Fire Plus Algebra. He is a specialist in communicating complex subjects through data visualisation, writing and design. He teaches for General Assembly and runs in-house training for public sector clients including the Home Office, the Department of Transport, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Health Foundation, and numerous local government and emergency services teams. He previously worked with Guardian Masterclasses on curating and delivering new course strands, including developing and teaching their B2B data visualisation courses. He oversaw the iPad edition launches of Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair and Vogue in the UK, and has worked with Condé Nast International as product owner on a bespoke digital asset management system for their 11 global markets.
 Testimonial “I was familiar with Alan’s work as a Guardian Masterclass instructor on data visualisation and digital journalism, which made it easy for me to recommend him for onsite training at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. We had a large group of people interested in honing their abilities to depict their research and stories in engaging ways. Alan’s course provided great insight about common communication pitfalls and how to avoid them, how to become better communicators by understanding the audience diversity, and it showcased some great online tools for creating infographics. This should be mandatory training for all students, academics, report writers and those involved with conveying research to the media as it will help increase the clarity and accessibility of our own research stories.”
 Dr Lee Haines | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

This practitioner-level 4 award encourages individuals in IT and technical roles to explore the many teams, ideas, and functions within an organisation and maximise their contribution. You will achieve this by learning the key concepts and considering behaviour and response in different scenarios.

This award introduces the critical concepts associated with AI and explores its relationship with the systems and processes that make up the digital ecosystem. It explores how AI can empower organisations to utilise Big Data through the use of Business Analysis and Machine Learning, and encourages candidates to consider a future vision of the world that is powered by AI.

This Level 4 course encourages individuals in digital and technical roles to enhance their skills by exploring different techniques, formats, and tools to communicate and understand the impact of their communication choices.