LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Julie Gourinchas (she/they) is developing a selective list focused on upmarket and literary adult fiction across a wide variety of genres. Writers she represents have been nominated for the British Book Awards, the Hugo Awards, the BSFA Awards, and the Saltire National Book Awards, among others. In fiction, she's drawn to a uncommon voices, and striking, intelligent writing – whether vibrant and floral or tense, quick, and sparse – as well as texture in both tone and setting (particularly anything with a strong aesthetic). Above all, she is looking for hooky, high-concept work, but her taste can perhaps be best summarised as "the weird, dark, and gruesome." While literary-speculative is her sweet spot, she considers herself genre agnostic within upmarket/literary fiction, and remains open to compelling and well-executed genre overlap. These include: upmarket and literary horror: especially featuring feminist or cultural themes, body horror, mangled nature, or cosmic, Lovecraftian vibes and looking for a fresh, literary take on vampires. Think Mona Awad, Lucy Rose, Julia Armfield, Jade Song, Stephen Graham Jones. dark and spiky literary dramas with high emotional stakes - think Eliza Clark, Julia May Jonas. razor-sharp dark academia particularly with something to say about the complex and exploitative systems within academia, more The Secret History, less The Atlas Six. gothic fiction, specifically regional gothic anchored in an evocative sense of place in the vein of Alexis Henderson and Alix E. Harrow. grounded fantasy or otherwise speculative fiction with coherent, sharp worldbuilding that feels recognisable and familiar, or directly set in our world. Play with magic, faith, and technology in your story like Babel, or a more literary version like Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Blood Over Bright Haven, Metal From Heaven. Searing contemporary fiction centred on themes of identity and belonging: think Sally Rooney, Torrey Peters, or what Saltburn should have been. dark westerns, in particular any that play with the truth and false hopes of the American Dream. magical realism both whimsy with a touch of darkness, and darkness with a touch of whimsy. unhappy romances anything -punk: steampunk, solarpunk, silkpunk, clockpunk, dieselpunk, cyberpunk and more of these! Suffice to say: if you can successfully and smartly comp to Arcane, Julie wants to see it! character-focused historical fiction with a literary edge: think Lauren Groff, Anthony Doerr, Eleanor Catton, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries; including and indeed encouraging alternate history. Stylistically, Julie loves uncommon, thought-provoking experimentation with both prose and form, and anything spiky, toothy, and dark. Happy endings, to her, should feel earned. In all things, compelling character development should come first. First person narration is not impossible, but hard to sell. A smart genre blend is always welcome, as is any fresh-eyed approach to a well-trodden trope. Julie is also very much looking for her first romantasy – especially one that approaches this exciting new genre from a fresh, bold perspective. She is keenly interested in hearing from authors traditionally underrepresented in the industry, including but not restricted to writers of colour; queer, trans, and nonbinary writers; working class writers; disabled writers; etc. Her enduring favourite books include All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. More recent favourites include the masterful Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Babel by R.F. Kuang, Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters, Matrix by Lauren Groff, Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, Brother Alive by Zain Khalid, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. In non-fiction, Julie is keen to read in the narrative and “big ideas” spaces, particularly in the realms of politics, history, and the social sciences. Please note: Julie is not looking for young adult, middle grade, and children’s books. Strictly no AI-generated content of any description. Please also bear in mind that, despite a deep and abiding love for all things Tolkien and Star Wars, she is not typically the right fit for epic or high fantasy, nor space-faring science fiction. She would also prefer to avoid pulpy crime and straightforward romance/romcoms. Julie would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Julie 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 29th April 2025
This course is designed to help tou to understand how yoni/lingam massage can assist with clients who have been through trauma, multiple pelvic surgeries, or had negative experiences in their relationships which have contributed to unresolved tension. This tension and buried trauma can impact on sexuality, contributing to dysfunctions such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, anorgasmia, painful intercourse, vaginismus etc.
This course is intended for anyone who has already undertaken basic body massage/sports massage training and would like to develop their knowledge of common injuries affecting the upper limbs which may lead clients to book a treatment, with self help measures that they can suggest to their clients. This course can also introduce students to upper limb injuries prior to undertaking a sports massage course and to gain further insight into upper injuries from a more medical viewpoint after undertaking sports massage training.
Build a property sourcing business, negotiation property deals as a sourcing agent or buyer's agent. Be legal and compliant, learning industry best practice as a deal packager.
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: Tuesday 29th April 2025
Wednesday 4 June, 10am - 12.30pm Do you want to create sensory backpacks for families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), but don’t know where to start? About this training In the UK, 11% of children are disabled and in England, 18.4% have special educational needs. Adding non-disabled siblings to these numbers increases this potential audience to a fifth of children in the UK. This simple fact is a powerful advocacy tool to make a business case for SEND inclusion in your museum. One way to support SEND families during a visit is to create a sensory backpack. These resources don’t cost a lot to create, and they can make a powerful difference to a SEND family’s visit. Their economic impact, promoting a longer dwell time and potentially greater spend in the museum, pays back an initial investment quickly. In this session, SEND in Museums Consultant Sam Bowen will guide you through how to create a sensory backpack, drawing on her own professional museum learning knowledge and lived experience as a parent of a child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). During this virtual training event, we will: · Understand the barriers SEND families face when visiting museums, · Explore examples of best practice in museums for creating sensory backpacks, · Share top tips on how to create backpacks that are bespoke for your setting. Take a look at the full schedule. This training event will be delivered virtually over two and a half hours (with a short break). Who should attend? This training is aimed at staff at museums, art galleries and heritage sites who are interested in making their organisations more welcoming to families with SEND.
ONLINE CLASS: FOCUSES ON HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AND HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. Harassment doesn’t have to be of a sexual nature – it can include offensive remarks about a person’s gender. For example, anyone could be guilty of harassing another if offensive comments are made about certain group in general. Simple teasing or offhand comments might not be illegal, but harassment is illegal when it creates a hostile or offensive work environment. This workshop teaches how to recognize, understand, and respond to harassment so that you can help to maintain a happy work environment, free from hostility and discomfort. Topics: Harassment Laws: The definition of sexual harassment and quid pro quo. Types of Harassment: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Physical, Psychological (teasing and offhand comments). Creating a happy work environment free from hostility and discomfort. Reporting: What to do when employees witness or experience harassment. Responding: How managers can identify and respond to prohibited conduct. Attendees will be able to: Identify the signs of Harassment and take steps to prevent it, Follow a legal and ethical protocol in responding and reporting it when it is perceived to occur, Involve the correct individuals in being made aware of the occurrence, and Respond appropriately to the situation after it occurs. This workshop is offered in two versions – management-only and staff-only. Online Format—Workplace Professionalism is a 4-hour interactive virtual class. Register for this class and you will be sent ONLINE login instructions prior to the class date. It was an extreme pleasure to have you as part of the Communication Enhancement Training Program. Your presentation was excellent and well received by the staff. Courtney C. Crouch, Jr., PresidentSelected Funeral and Life Insurance Company
Some of you may have joined us for our February ORSC Community event, Is There Space for Love in Organisations? Thank you to those who joined us, your insights, curiosity, and willingness to explore this complex topic made for a powerful conversation. One thing is clear: this dialogue is far from over. As we navigate shifts in corporate culture, the need to balance masculine energy with love, connection, and relational intelligence is more important than ever. That’s why we’re continuing the conversation in our next Community Event on 29th April. Together, we’ll build on what we uncovered, deepen our practice, and explore how we can actively create workplaces where love and power coexist. Key questions we’ll address: What does love mean in a professional setting? How can love thrive alongside masculinity? Can masculinity be expressed in a loving, intentional way? What does “masculine aggression through a lens of love” look like in leadership and team dynamics? Keith McMahon and Dylan Smith will again guide us through an interactive session. This event isn’t just a discussion—it’s a space for practice, reflection, and transformation. Whether you’re a coach, leader, or someone passionate about building healthier workplace dynamics, you’ll leave equipped to inspire positive change. 📅 Date: February 29th April 📍 Location: Virtual Via Zoom Save the date and join us for this thought-provoking, practice-rich session. Together, let’s reimagine the role of love in a changing corporate world.