LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Marilia Savvides founded The Plot Agency in 2024. She began her career in publishing at Peters Fraser and Dunlop, where she spent eight years, first as International Rights Agent, and later as Literary Agent, building her own list of authors. In 2019, she joined 42MP, where she worked as Literary Agent for four years, helping to launch and set up the Book Division. She is particularly interested in fiction that is beautifully written and cleverly constructed, but still accessible to a wide readership. She is often drawn to darker tales that weave together excellent characters and an impossible-to-put-down story, from immersive book club novels with a splash of suspense, crime and thrillers, accessible horror, and speculative, genre-bending or dystopian stories. She also adores smart, witty contemporary rom-com in the style of Emily Henry. In the thriller, crime and mystery space she is interested in most areas, except military thrillers and organised crime/ mafia / mob stories. Big hooks and clever set ups are a big bonus! She adores Karin Slaughter (especially her standalone novels) and Gillian Flynn. In the book club / reading group space, she’s particularly drawn to fiction in the vein of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng, and absolutely fell in love with Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, both for the incredible voice, and the exquisite use of structure and time. Complicated family dynamics, empathetic and smart approaches to controversial issues, stand out protagonists (like Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry or Bernadette in Where D’You Go Bernadette), long buried secrets, complicity, the road to justice, and impossible decisions, are all themes she finds herself drawn to. In the horror space, she’s a sucker for amazing female-centric stories in the vein of Yellowjackets, and the kind of contemporary, accessible horror that Stephen King always nails. She wants to get lost in a world that feels within reach of ours. In the speculative and dystopian spaces, she’s interested in genius ideas that set up big questions or reflect the most broken (and sometimes hidden) parts of society. She loves Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and also adored The Leftovers, Station Eleven, Wanderers, and The Power. The what-ifs of life and fiction fascinate her. In the grounded sci-fi space, she’d love to find a smart, immersive, and accessible story like The Martian. She doesn’t represent fantasy or romantasy. In regards to sci-fi, unless it’s very grounded and has crossover potential to a mainstream audience, it’s not for her. In the romance space, she’s particularly drawn to smart, complex and witty characters, where the chemistry is jumping off the page. She loves contemporary settings and all the tropes, though the voice and characters must come first to make the reading experience fully immersive. She wants to be cackling, and rooting for the characters with all her heart. She is very hands-on editorially, and loves working with her authors to shape their manuscripts, and brainstorm ideas. The best part of the job is discovering debut authors, and helping them find a home for their books. Marilia would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 - 2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single Word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Marilia 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 19th May 2025
Running a careers themed Takeover Day: Afternoon Cuppa Session Tuesday 13 May, 2pm - 3.30pm Join us for an informal virtual briefing and discussion session to inspire your own careers themed Takeover Day. Established by Kids in Museums in 2010, Takeover Day is when museums, galleries, historic homes, archives and heritage sites invite young people to take over jobs normally done by adults. Over 5,000 people, from toddlers to 25 year olds, now take part each year. This year, Takeover Day is on Friday 21 November. The theme for Takeover Day in 2025 is careers. We are bringing Takeover Day back to its roots and highlighting how it can support young people of all ages to learn about different jobs in museums and develop their skills, both in the sector and beyond. The date also coincides with Discover Creative Careers Week. In this session, we will: Provide a range of ideas to inspire your own careers themed Takeover Day with local children and young people, Hear a case study from the Great North Museum: Hancock about hosting their first careers themed Takeover Day in 2024, Create opportunities for attendees to informally share their ideas for Takeover Day or experience of other careers focused projects they have undertaken. Please bring along your own cuppa and snacks! Take a look at the full schedule. This event will be delivered virtually over one and a half hours.
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.
How to safely use an AED CPD Accredited, Interactive Short Course (via Zoom) 1½ hr courseLearn how to use an AED safelyAED: Automated External DefibrillatorLearn from the comfort of your own home, great for CPD Course Contents The Chain of Survival How to give CPR DR ABC Introduction to an AED Aspects of an AED Safety aspects of using an AED How to use an AED on an adult, child and infant/baby Please note: this course is aimed as a reminder of how to provide first aid, not a first time training session. Giving CPD especially needs to be taught in person, with lots of chances to practice Benefits of this Short Course There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year But just 1 out of 10 survive Improved help by the public, and access to defibrillators (AEDs) gives a higher chance of survival Learn how to use an AED and (potentially) save someone's life when it matters most This could be a friend or even a loved one...
The professional working world has changed more rapidly than could have been envisaged at the time of the introduction of GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. With more people working from home post-Covid and the ever increasing risk of cyber-attacks, this short course is aimed at taking stock of current practice and risk, as well as considering ICO enforcement action and the implications of hybrid working. It is also a great recap on the rules as they stand and what you need to know to comply. The course will cover: UK GDPR - A timely reminder of the rules ICO enforcement action and what we can learn Data Protection Impact Assessments - when and how to do them Hybrid working and UK GDPR Managing cyber attacks from a UK GDPR perspective Target Audience The online course is suitable for staff of all levels, from support staff to senior partners. 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 Matthew Howgate, Consultant, DG Legal Matt is a non-practising solicitor who has considerable experience in regulatory issues and advising on complex issues of compliance and ethics. He is also an expert in data protection, UK GDPR and on the civil legal aid scheme. Matthew is a lead trainer on and co-developed the LAPG Certificate in Practice Management (a training programme for legal managers and law firm owners) as well as regularly providing training on legal aid Supervision, costs maximisation, data protection and security and on general SRA compliance.
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
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
This one day masterclass is designed to provide a practical application of the content that is covered within The DEI Playbook and is aimed at anyone tasked with launching and implementing diversity and inclusion within their organisation.
LEARN TO FOCUS ON INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, BEHAVIOR, AND ENVIRONMENT AND HOW TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY-POSITIVE INTERACTIONS. You will be able to focus on interpersonal skills, behavior, and environment, to see how they promote diversity-positive interactions, as well as learn causes for discriminatory practices and create an action plan for increasing workplace acceptance and harmony. Uncover and discard beliefs and attitudes that foster or block progress. By discovering your strengths as well as liabilities, you can build on the positive and move toward minimizing the negative. As a result, you will gain greater personal and professional satisfaction. PART I – BROADENING THE VIEW Find new perspectives and ways to turn challenges into opportunities. Become skilled at ways to further develop self-awareness and sensitivity. PART II – FAIR STANDARDS Learn about how attitudes expressed in speech and behavior promote or hinder a positive work environment. Determine and apply steps for getting past prejudice for greater productivity. PART III – ORGANIZATIONAL UNITY Discover value in diverse perspectives and personalities and their benefits. Strategize ways to strengthen relationships and turn negative into positive interactions. ATTENDEES WILL BE ABLE TO: Discover new ways to “see things differently;” Use Emotional Intelligence to strengthen relationships and increase awareness of self and others; Define Diversity and uncover ways in which it is significantly useful in an organization; Develop best practices (rooted in honor and law) to use Diversity in planning, problem solving, and decision-making); Manage conflict through unity, using the organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals; and Understand and communicate value to staff. Online Class—Diversity – Building a Thriving Business Environment is a 4-hour interactive virtual class. Register for this class and you will be sent ONLINE login instructions prior to the class date. Improving Communications brought our organization to realize how important our employees—our people—are to Baystate Dental. By helping us to develop a more thoughtful and sensitive nature, we now relate better with each other and our patients. Dr. Kevin Coughlin, DMD, FAGD, MBABaystate Dental