2088 Disc courses in Coventry delivered Live Online

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Francesca Riccardi is a literary agent at Kate Nash Literary Agency. She has previously worked in sales roles at HarperCollins, Constable & Robinson, Atlantic Books (where she was recognised as a 2017 Bookseller Rising Star), and most recently was sales and marketing director for Canelo. She has worked with authors including Holly Seddon, Rachel Lynch, Cesca Major, Robert Fabbri, Marion Todd, M C Beaton, Catherine Ryan Howard, and Phil Rickman. Francesca is looking for character-driven popular commercial adult fiction across all genres. She loves books with a strong voice and sense of place, and is particularly interested in stories that are high concept, appealing to a millennial audience, and showcase lesser known experiences and/or female and diverse narratives. Francesca would like you to submit the first 5000 words of your manuscript, a synopsis and your cover letter in that order in one single Word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Francesca 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: Tuesday 26th August 2025

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Publisher / editor Scott Pack is now in his third decade working in the world of books. During that time he has been Head of Buying for Waterstones, worked for publishers big and small - including a lengthy spell at HarperCollins - and taught numerous workshops and classes on all aspects of writing. These days he splits his time between writing his own books, editing other people's, teaching the editors of tomorrow as part of the Oxford Brookes University MA in Publishing, and he is one of the question setters for BBC's Mastermind. His latest book, Tips From A Publisher, is out now.  As a publisher, Scott has published across most genres in fiction and a wide range of non-fiction and is happy to read any style of writing. He will assess your sample and provide feedback on any issues he identifies, the manuscript's commercial potential and what steps he would advise before you submit to agents or publishers. Scott is very direct with his feedback, so expect robust, but always constructive, comments! Scott would like you to submit your fiction as a covering letter, 1-2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document.  For non-fiction, he would like to see:- 1-page synopsis – to give an overview of what the book will offer the reader and how it's different from other books out there on this topic A detailed proposed contents list, including proposed sub-section headings as well as chapter headings – to give a sense of the overall reader journey 1000-1500 words of intro text - to showcase context, tone etc 1000-1500 words from later in the book - to showcase the progression of the book (In addition to the paid sessions, Scott 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: Tuesday 26th August 2025

An area that many small and new businesses struggle with is developing and defining their approach to marketing. Creating a marketing strategy document is something every business owner should do before you start marketing your business.

The LAA operates a strict compliance regime when it comes to auditing crime lower bills, and mistakes can often result in a Contract Notice, corrective action, and further follow-up activity within 6 months. This course will take you through the various aspects of crime lower billing, with discussions on topics such as what is and is not claimable; how you apply series of offences guidance; what evidence is required to claim a trial fee when a matter is discontinued; how do the LAA audit travel and other disbursement claims (including the rules when instructing an agent); and what evidence must be present on files to avoid any issues on audit. Key aspects of the Crime Contract, Criminal Bills Assessment Manual and Codes Guidance will be included, along with a discussion of common errors that are made; and how to claim non-standard and escape fee matters. Target Audience This online course is aimed at anyone involved in billing Legal Aid Police Station and Magistrates Court matters or managing an LAA Crime Contract. Resources Course notes will be provided to all delegates which may be useful for ongoing reference or cascade training. Please note a recording of the course will not be made available. Speaker Steve Keeling, Consultant, DG Legal Steve joined DG Legal after leaving the Legal Aid Agency in August 2016. In his 17 years at the LAA, he worked in the audit team as both auditor and manager and was a Contract Manager for several years. Steve is also a certified SQM auditor and undertakes audits on behalf of Recognising Excellence as well as running training sessions for the SQM Audit Team periodically.

Supporting people managers The flagship CAPE programme is different to other management development programmes. We offer people management training that supports managers to feel equipped, enabled and empowered to make an immediate and lasting impact. You will benefit from learning how conversation styles, self-belief and authenticity matter and practice your skills with one of our many charity partners towards the end of your training. 12 month multi-element programme Learn new coaching skills Work with charities to utilise your skills Limited spaces £1,795 plus VAT per person Our mission is to help you become a brilliant manager.

Historical Association webinar series: Making GCSE history accessible: supporting all learners at Key Stage 4 Presenters: Gemma Hargraves  This session explores some of the hidden barriers faced by neurodivergent pupils in the history classroom, including anxiety and low self-confidence. It offers practical strategies to create an inclusive and supportive environment that enables all learners to engage meaningfully with historical learning. Key topics: • Recognising common anxiety triggers in history education • Building learner confidence through inclusive pedagogical approaches • Understanding and responding to the needs of neurodivergent pupils in GCSE history To use your corporate recording offer on this webinar please fill in this form: https://forms.office.com/e/bdNUSwLNrL Image: A Squire "Old English" padlock on a gate latch in Devon (Image: Partonez/Wikimedia Commons)

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Kate Barker has worked in publishing for over twenty years as an agent, commissioning editor and ghostwriter. Before setting up her own company, Kate Barker Literary Agency, she spent ten years at Penguin, where she was an Editorial Director for Viking, acquiring fiction and non-fiction. She has also worked for Orion, Curtis Brown and for digital publisher Bookouture. She is looking for commercial and reading group fiction for adults and would love to find an unputdownable thriller like Rosamund Lupton's Three Hours, a funny, heartbreaking contemporary novel like Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams or a romantic comedy with a unique premise like The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. She also loves historical fiction and series crime. Kate would like you to submit a covering letter, one page synopsis and the first three chapters (Max 5,000 words) of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Kate 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 27th August 2025

Each week, participants will have the opportunity to gain invaluable insights, and hone their craft through immersive learning experiences.

Discover the world of Targa Rallies! Join our expert-led webinar to learn the basics, explore events and championships, and master timing, navigation, and special tests. Perfect for beginners!

LOOKING FOR: MG, YA, ADULT FICTION Originally from the North East of Scotland. Kirsten joined Zeno in the summer 2024 after time working at a previous literary agency and before that working as a bookseller in the Charing Cross branch of Foyles. Kirsten has a BA (Hons) in English from Edinburgh Napier University and a Masters in Children’s Literature from Reading University. Kirsten is currently building her own list alongside handling Zeno’s translation rights. Kirsten is looking for: Scottish voices - especially something from the North East - Kirsten is Aberdonian and would love to help a writer from this space emerge. Water horror - as Kirsten grew up in Aberdeen she is always looking for horror inspired by the sea or the landscape of Scotland - bonus points if it has anything to do with an oil rig! Workplace horror like Camilla Grudova’s Children of Paradise or Calvin Kasulke’s Several People are Typing (this is not a reflection of her agency!) Romance - especially young and contemporary - obviously bonus points if it’s set in Scotland and written by someone who has lived there. Kirsten is a huge fan of all the usual suspects, Ali Hazlewood, Ana Huang, Bolu Babalola to name a few! Romantasy - less elves, more out of the box - Kirsten read Sarah J Maas in 2014/15 and so is looking for something that expands on the genre. A good crime thriller - Kirsten did her dissertation on terrorism so anything that is well written in this space would be a dream for her. Additionally she really enjoys serial killer novels and the recent fake true crime novels, Penance by Eliza Clark especially thrilled her. A Studio Ghibli esque fantasy - luscious landscapes, brilliant characters, a powerfulstory. If any of your comps are a Ghibli film she wants to see it! Fanfiction writers! Kirsten has always been on the sites and would love you to tell her if you’ve written fanfiction in the past / have an ongoing fanbase - maybe she has already read it. Kirsten already has: A nonfiction baking book - Kirsten would not want another at this moment. A middle grade cosy fantasy - Kirsten would love to see more of this! But worries if it’s too close to what she already has, then it would be a reason for her to turn it down. A Horror Vampire novel - again she would love to see more of this! But worries if it’s too close to what she already has, that would be a reason for her to turn it down. Vampires would probably be better for her if they were contemporary or in the romantasy space. A Game of Thrones esque fantasy - a client is already writing this and she wants to give it the space on her list it deserves! Kirsten is NOT looking for: Picture books / 5-8 books Poetry Police procedural Hard science fiction Kirsten would like you to submit a covering letter, one page synopsis and the first three chapters (Max 5000 words) of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Kirsten 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: Monday 25th August 2025