A one-day training course for all staff in special schools and colleges, to increase confidence and skills providing RSE and pastoral support to learners.
LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Clare set up the Liverpool Literary Agency in 2020 to help address inequality and underrepresentation in the publishing industry. With more than 15 years’ experience of writing and editing professionally, including the publication of two novels, Definitions (2015) and We Are of Dust (2018 - which has received development funding from the Liverpool Film Office for a TV adaptation), she has developed an in-depth knowledge of what commissioning editors and publishers expect to see from a submitted manuscript. With a background in PR and marketing, alongside teaching on creative writing programmes, Clare also has extensive experience in pitching and promoting writers and has been nominated for the Romantic Novelist Association Agent of the Year Award! Clare would love to see historical fiction, crime fiction, psychological thrillers and women’s fiction, but she is open to all great writing with a strong hook in any area (excluding non-fiction, children’s and YA). She actively encourages submissions from writers who have been traditionally under-represented. Clare 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, Clare 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 14th May 2025
CPD Accredited, Interactive Short Course 2 or 3.5 hour hr sessions What are the autistic spectrum disorder, autism and asperger's syndrome? How can you best understand, and thus help, those affected? Course Contents of the shorter course: What is ASD Autism and Asperger's Syndrome Understanding those on the Spectrum How to approach and help those on the Autistic Spectrum Great for teachers and TAs in schools, and for those working in care with older people with ASD Benefits of this Short Course: About 1% of the population is thought to be on the Autistic Spectrum That is several children per nursery and primary school and a significant amount of young people in secondary schools Many with Asperger's Syndrome will also go to university The way they experience the world is very different to 'neuro-typical' people Understanding their condition helps to support them and give them the best chance
LOOKING FOR: MG, YA, ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Una is a Rights Agent at Susanna Lea Associates and am starting to build a client list. She grew up in London and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in English in 2021. At university, Una was particularly interested in contemporary West African and South Asian literature. She started as an agent's assistant at SLA London in 2022 and now handles some translation rights and provides support with editorial work and submissions. Una's favourite reads always set her at ease right away and draws her in with impressive and accessible storytelling, memorable characters or an original hook. Una enjoys writing which expands her worldview, makes her laugh out loud or keeps her on her toes with its twists and turns. She welcomes submissions from debut authors and would be keen to read across a wide range of genres and styles. She is looking for literary, upmarket and book club fiction, and is always drawn to stories that explores the challenges and complexities of love and relationships in all its forms —within families, between friends or in romantic relationships. Una loves the way in which familial relationships are dissected in The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright and the impact of the local community in Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson. She is always drawn to novels with a strong sense of community, whether they are unified by geography, culture, or in other unexpected ways. Una has always loved reading international and translated fiction and welcomes submissions from authors writing contemporary fiction that engages with cultures and traditions from around the world, such as in voices of the deities in Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi or the subversive tales of Sayaka Murata. She is not looking for children’s or YA titles, science fiction or high-concept fantasy, but is open to submissions from authors writing in the speculative fiction space, and books with fantastical or otherworldly elements, be that magical realism or supernatural horror, such as Mona Awad's campus novel with a twist, Bunny. Una would also love to read more writing that engages with the natural world and reminds us of the limitations of human understanding. In non-fiction, Una enjoys books that furthers her understanding of wider societal issues — nature and the environment, culture, and little-known history. Her recent non-fiction favourites are Eve by Cat Bohannon, Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein and Unearthed by Claire Ratinon. Una 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, Una 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 13th May 2025
Improving Communications UK offers an Advanced Presentation Skills course designed to enhance public speaking abilities and improve the use of presentation software. This course provides delegates with the opportunity to refine their skills in a supportive environment. As delegates deliver their presentations, they are coached on key areas such as body language, posture, word choice, confidence, eye contact, volume, and reducing verbal tics and filler words. This comprehensive approach ensures that delegates can effectively engage their audience and convey their message with clarity and confidence. The course also focuses on enhancing content and visual aids, typically using software like PowerPoint. Delegates learn how to: Clearly state their purpose Reduce text on slides Create user-friendly messages Select impactful graphics to support their message By the end of the course, delegates will be able to deliver organised and engaging presentations that motivate audiences, craft streamlined messages, enhance their stage presence, and convince listeners with compelling evidence in speech and visuals. This course is ideal for those seeking to improve their presentation skills and make a lasting impact. The Advanced Presentation Skills course is a 4-hour interactive virtual class for up to six delegates. Upon registration, delegates will receive online login instructions prior to the class date. This format allows for a personal and interactive learning experience from the comfort of one's own home.
LOOKING FOR: YA/NA FANTASY, SFF, HORROR, ADULT FICTION John Baker (he/him) joined the Bell Lomax Moreton agency in 2019, cultivating a list shaped around his passion for science fiction, fantasy, and horror, though has lately also branched out into action/adventure fiction. John focuses on authors writing in the Adult, New Adult, and YA spaces. John leads the wider agency's film & TV desk, is the Secretary of the Association of Author’s Agents, and the co-chair of the AAA’s Bridge Committee. He also serves on the Kingston University MA Publishing Advisory Board. Under the umbrella of speculative fiction, John is looking for fantasy, science fiction, horror, romantasy, or literary speculative fiction. He has built a reputation as a champion of underrepresented voices and stories, be it from creators hailing from the global majority and their diasporas or neurodiverse authors, and naturally gravitates towards this kind of storytelling. In short, if he’s never read a story like yours before, he wants to see it. Adult fantasy: John loves beefy epic fantasy, especially non-Anglo Christian-inspired. Give him an immersive world, a fresh magical or mythic system, and an exciting cast of characters and he’ll be happy. He is a broad church in the genre so loves a political fantasy, swords and sorcery, courtly intrigue, monster hunting and dastardly villains. John is keen to find an urban fantasy that feels fresh and fun and he’s a sucker for a heroic quest narrative. He’s also very open to fantasy that isn’t easily categorised, but it is playing in that world. John is keenly hunting for more historical fantasy, especially inspired by modern history. He’s had fun with mythological retellings in the past, but as ever, let’s make sure it’s shining the spotlight on new stories. He would also love fantasy that centres on types of relationships less celebrated in fantasy, such as established and secure married couples, or siblings. NA/YA fantasy: In this genre, most importantly, John wants to have a good time, whether it’s swoon-worthy kisses in lush ball gowns, or gruesome gore and monsters, so send him pacy, plot-filled adventures. He’d love more books that teenage boys would love: Skullduggery Pleasant forever! Romantasy: The thriving new romantasy genre comes with its own set of challenges, so John wants to know what makes your romantasy different; what will set it out from the (very crowded!) market. Give it completely barmy stakes, cool and unique new settings, or a love story that will make your jaw drop. To be clear, he’s happily sorted for a human person meets a fae creature in the spooky woods. Also, cosmic romance is the genre of the future. Give him romantasy in space. Easy. Horror: John and horror are old friends. He loves horror inspired by myth and folklore, subversive weird horror that leaves your eyebrows in your hairline, historical horror that pulls from ghastly true stories, and anything that you’ll be reading with the light on. He also loves a gothic element and is particularly looking for horror with a strong romantic throughline, fun YA horror, and female & NB horror authors. Science fiction: SF is coming back! And John has been shouting about that. He loves to see an adventurous found-family romp through space or an epic, crunchy space opera. Speculative near-future is fun too, in the vein of Black Mirror’s more uplifting episodes, (e.g. San Junipero). He loves YA science fiction as well; the more creative the better. Literary: John is open to finding more rich magical realism or something character-led yet supernatural and would love a high-concept mystery, in the vein of Stuart Turton. He also loves spec fic that uses the speculative lightly as a way of confronting a deeper truth in society today. Weird stuff: John wants books that will blow people’s minds and defy categorisation. This is hard to describe, but think Gideon The Ninth, The Library At Mount Char, This Is How You Lose The Time War. John loves a pitch that leaves the editors baffled but intrigued. Action/Adventure, Historical Adventure, Espionage: John is branching out into non-speculative adventures, such as John Le Carré, Lee Child, Ian Flemming, and Mick Herron. More as his taste develops, but the hunt is on! Not looking for: military sci-fi or hard SF, or anything with biblical “character wakes up in purgatory/heaven/hell” narratives. The right comedic fantasy has yet to hit his inbox, but please don’t comp Douglas Adams or Sir Terry. John would like you to submit a covering letter, 1-2 page synopsis and the first three chapters (or 5,000 words whichever is longest) of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, John 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 12th May 2025
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program: In-House Training This learning series is designed to enable participants to fulfill the important role of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and to incorporate the Lean Six Sigma mindset into their leadership skills. Green Belt is not just a role, it is also a competency required for leadership positions at many top companies. This learning series is designed to enable participants to fulfill the important role of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and to incorporate the Lean Six Sigma mindset into their leadership skills. With a real-world project focus, the series will teach the fundamental methodology, tools, and techniques of the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control Process Improvement Methodology. This course is delivered through sixteen 3-hour online sessions. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify strategies for effectively leading high performing process improvement teams Analyze whether projects align with business strategy Apply process improvement methodologies to DMAIC steps, based on real world scenarios Explain ways to appropriately respond to process variation Distinguish among best practice problem solving methodologies Evaluate and effectively communicate data-driven decisions, based on real world scenarios Introduction Lean Six Sigma & quality The vision The methodologies The metric Project Selection Why Projects Random idea generation Targeted idea generation CTQs (Critical to Quality) & projects Project screening criteria Quick improvements Introduction to Define Project Planning Developing the core charter Developing a project charter Facilitation Process Management Business process management Top-down process mapping Voice of the Customer Voice of Customer Stakeholder analysis Communication planning Kicking off the project Define Summary Introduction to Measure Data Collection Fact-based decision making Data sampling Operations definitions Data collection plan Measurement system analysis Graphical Statistics for Continuous Data Meet Six SigmaXL Graphical & statistical tools Data stratification Graphical Statistics for Discrete Data Pareto analysis Dot plots Plotting data over time: Looking for patterns Variation Concepts Variation is reality Special Cause and Common Cause variation Example of standard business reporting Individuals Control Chart Process Capability Genesis of process capability Calculating the metrics of Six Sigma Yield metrics: Measuring process efficiency Cost of Poor Quality The Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) Cost of Quality categories Calculating the Cost of Poor Quality Measure Summary Introduction to Analyze Process Analysis Introduction to process analysis Value-added analysis Cycle time analysis WIP & pull systems Analyzing bottlenecks and constraints Cause & Effect Analysis Fishbone/Ishikawa diagram 5-Whys analysis Graphical & statistical tools Advanced Analysis Why use hypothesis rests? Hypothesis tests Correlation and regression analysis Analyze Summary Introduction to Improve Solutions Creativity techniques Generating alternative solutions Solution selection techniques Introduction to Design of Experiments Introduction to DOE DOE activity Error Proofing Failure mode & effect analysis Poka-Yoke Project Management Fundamentals Successful teams Project roles Conflict management Standardization Standardization The Visual Workplace 5S Piloting & Verifying Results What is a pilot? Evaluating results Improve Summary Introduction to Control Statistical Process Control Review of Special & Common Cause variation Review of Individual Control Chart P-Chart for discrete proportion data Transition Planning Control plan Project closure Control Summary Summary and Next Steps
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program: Virtual In-House Training This learning series is designed to enable participants to fulfill the important role of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and to incorporate the Lean Six Sigma mindset into their leadership skills. Green Belt is not just a role, it is also a competency required for leadership positions at many top companies. This learning series is designed to enable participants to fulfill the important role of a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and to incorporate the Lean Six Sigma mindset into their leadership skills. With a real-world project focus, the series will teach the fundamental methodology, tools, and techniques of the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control Process Improvement Methodology. This course is delivered through sixteen 3-hour online sessions. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify strategies for effectively leading high performing process improvement teams Analyze whether projects align with business strategy Apply process improvement methodologies to DMAIC steps, based on real world scenarios Explain ways to appropriately respond to process variation Distinguish among best practice problem solving methodologies Evaluate and effectively communicate data-driven decisions, based on real world scenarios Introduction Lean Six Sigma & quality The vision The methodologies The metric Project Selection Why Projects Random idea generation Targeted idea generation CTQs (Critical to Quality) & projects Project screening criteria Quick improvements Introduction to Define Project Planning Developing the core charter Developing a project charter Facilitation Process Management Business process management Top-down process mapping Voice of the Customer Voice of Customer Stakeholder analysis Communication planning Kicking off the project Define Summary Introduction to Measure Data Collection Fact-based decision making Data sampling Operations definitions Data collection plan Measurement system analysis Graphical Statistics for Continuous Data Meet Six SigmaXL Graphical & statistical tools Data stratification Graphical Statistics for Discrete Data Pareto analysis Dot plots Plotting data over time: Looking for patterns Variation Concepts Variation is reality Special Cause and Common Cause variation Example of standard business reporting Individuals Control Chart Process Capability Genesis of process capability Calculating the metrics of Six Sigma Yield metrics: Measuring process efficiency Cost of Poor Quality The Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) Cost of Quality categories Calculating the Cost of Poor Quality Measure Summary Introduction to Analyze Process Analysis Introduction to process analysis Value-added analysis Cycle time analysis WIP & pull systems Analyzing bottlenecks and constraints Cause & Effect Analysis Fishbone/Ishikawa diagram 5-Whys analysis Graphical & statistical tools Advanced Analysis Why use hypothesis rests? Hypothesis tests Correlation and regression analysis Analyze Summary Introduction to Improve Solutions Creativity techniques Generating alternative solutions Solution selection techniques Introduction to Design of Experiments Introduction to DOE DOE activity Error Proofing Failure mode & effect analysis Poka-Yoke Project Management Fundamentals Successful teams Project roles Conflict management Standardization Standardization The Visual Workplace 5S Piloting & Verifying Results What is a pilot? Evaluating results Improve Summary Introduction to Control Statistical Process Control Review of Special & Common Cause variation Review of Individual Control Chart P-Chart for discrete proportion data Transition Planning Control plan Project closure Control Summary Summary and Next Steps
KNOW THE RULES! POOR GRAMMAR SHOWS A LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND ULTIMATELY CAN SLOW DOWN COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL AS PRODUCTIVITY. Business people who know grammar judge others based on their correct (or incorrect) usage. Be the professional who is able to be clear and correct in writing. Business Grammar & Usage: ENGLISH BOOT CAMP is the answer for today’s business competitive environment. Interactive instruction and collaboration with your fellow attendees means that you will master the skills and apply your new knowledge to the classroom exercises and activities. When you return to work, you’ll have new confidence about what is right and wrong, when it comes to writing. Attendees Will Be Able To: Know the Parts of Speech and their correct uses; Understand Sentence Structure, including applying rules for Subject-Verb and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement; Be able to create Plurals and Possessives accurately and with certainty; Review and use the rules of Spelling, Mechanics (Capitalization, Abbreviation, Number Use), and Punctuation; Create original email / documents to employ newly-learned class material. Online Format—Business Grammar and Usage is a 4-hour interactive virtual class for up to ten people. Register for this class and you will be sent ONLINE login instructions prior to the class date. It was great to have the opportunity to learn some new techniques and to gain more awareness of how I present myself. The most immediately applicable uses have been in reducing my “ums” and “ahs” and in trying to come to my point in a more succinct way. I’ve been cultivating this awareness in one-on-one settings; meetings and individual conversations. Christina Vargas
CPD Accredited, Interactive Workshop 2 hr session Learn all about the Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing and how they could be applied into your life Learn from the comfort of your own home Course Contents: Introduction to the Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing The Science Behind the Five Steps Learn about the Five Steps themselves and how to apply them into our own life - Connect - Be Active - Keep learning - Give to others - Be mindful Benefits of this Short Course: People's wellbeing have been under great strain. Stressful lives lead to people suffering from mental health problems. The Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing are a scientifically proven method of improving one's mental wellbeing, and increasing one's general emotional resilience In this Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing workshop, we'll show you what you can do to improve your own mental wellbeing and resilience, and can help you help others do the same!