33 Courses in Bristol

LOOKING FOR: PICTURE BOOKS, MG, YA Emily started working at United Agents in 2013 in the foreign rights department, representing the overseas rights for UA's children's authors and illustrators, before moving over to primary agenting in 2015. Before this she worked in a primary school reading books with children every single day and discovering exactly what they like to read. She loves books that touch on the gritty realisms of life such as the writing of Louise O'Neill and Holly Bourne. Emily is also on the lookout for middle grade of any kind; everything from authentic and emotive to humorous adventure. Above all she has a passion for great characterisation and is on the hunt for a distinctive, new and underrepresented voice in children’s literature, whatever age group that may find itself in.  Emily is also looking for picture book authors and illustrators. Her favourite picture books are those with an off the wall, irreverent humour. Not Now Bernard frames many a childhood memory for her for example. On the illustration side, If you’re looking for representation the most important thing you can do is find your own voice and adapt a style that is unique to you. Emily would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters (5,000 words max) of your manuscript in a single word document. For picture books, please send a covering letter, and text for up to 3 stories. Please send EITHER picture books OR another genre, not both in one submission. (In addition to the paid sessions, Emily 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 17 October 2024

LOOKING FOR: PB, CHAPTER BOOKS, MG, GRAPHIC NOVELS, CHILDREN'S NON-FICTION Millie van Grutten joined Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency in 2021 and as of early 2024 Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency was acquired by Rogers Coleridge & White. Millie is thrilled to be building the children’s illustrated division at RCW and is actively looking for authors and illustrators of picture books, chapter books, young fiction, graphic novels and is particularly interested in children’s non-fiction presented in any guise. Millie loves working collaboratively with authors and illustrators whether it’s brainstorming a title, building a portfolio, trying out new genres and age groups or simply chatting ideas through. She relishes the opportunity to champion the work of illustrators and authors alike and is open to anything from 0-9 whether texts, illustrations or both. She loves anything with strong and engaging characters at its heart, quirky stories, and books that make you laugh and/or books that can make you laugh while you learn… Apart from the ever enduring and absolute classics like Quentin Blake’s Mrs Armitage, Millie has recently enjoyed Mariajo Ilustrajo’s Lost, Ed Vere’s The Artist, The Secret Beast Club (Robin Birch and Jobe Anderson), Dave Pigeon (Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey), How to Be A Genius Kid (Jim Smith) and anything by Lauren Child. Among many other talents, Millie represents Swapna Haddow, Zehra Hicks, Sandra Dieckmann, Jobe Anderson, Marilyn Esther Chi, Emma Clarke, Jim Smith, Gabriella Szendrey, Helen and Thomas Docherty. Millie would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the opening three chapters (max 5,000 words) of your novel. For picture books please send up to three texts split into 12 spreads each and a covering letter. For non-fiction please supply a cover letter and proposal with up to 5,000 words of your sample text. Please send EITHER picture books OR another genre, not both in one submission. (In addition to the paid sessions, Millie 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. Submission Deadline: Monday 28 October 2024

LOOKING FOR: YA, ADULT FICTION Laura Bennett developed a love of writing early, attending her first Creative Writing course at college. She then decided to study Writing at Liverpool John Moores University, obtaining a BA before pursuing a career in teaching. She began work at a college for young adults with special needs, and then moved to a vocational college while studying for a post-compulsory PGCE. Laura taught English for a few years, and also ran several Creative Writing courses before returning to LJMU to obtain an MA in Writing. She then worked as a teaching assistant at a local secondary school, before leaving that job to pursue a career at the Liverpool Literary Agency. She has also worked as a private tutor, written for tabletop roleplaying games, and is the narrative writer for an Indie video game. Laura is looking for adult and YA science fiction and fantasy of all stripes, including steampunk, post-apocalyptic, urban fantasy, supernatural, and dystopian. She loves diverse casts and complicated relationships. Stories that focus on realistic characters with strong voices are a definite hit, no matter how fantastical their worlds. Laura 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, 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: Thursday 24 October 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Amanda Preston has been a literary agent for over 20 years and co-founded LBA in 2005. She won the RNA Literary Agent of the Year award in 2018.  She represents commercial and reading group fiction, as well as a range of narrative non-fiction and memoir. She loves working with authors, championing them every step of the way, and works with them and their publishing teams to build them into brand names and award winning and bestselling authors in the UK and internationally. Whether commercial or reading-group, she loves innovative and well-written stories that hook her in from the start and whose voice stays with her. She is looking for novels that demand to be talked about and shared, whatever their genre, and that she is still thinking about days after finishing.  She is on the hunt for a high-concept thriller which is character and plot driven, but also has a discussable issue at its heart i.e Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey and Girl A by Abigail Dean. She love thrillers where the location is as integral to the plot as the crime i.e The Dry by Jane Harper and The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse, and would love a good locked-room thriller but is only looking for fresh and unique ideas in this area.  She is also on the hunt for a glorious book club love story that is doing something a bit different and special i.e Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus or anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid or Liane Moriarty! Or smart, contemporary, observant romcoms with a very strong emphasis on diverse / own voices.  Finally, she would love a historical that vividly brings that period to life as well as having a stunning plot i.e, The Familiars by Stacey Halls and The Doll Factory by Elizabeth MacNeal. Amanda would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the opening three chapters (max 5,000 words). (In addition to the paid sessions, Amanda 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 28 October 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Jade Kavanagh is a Literary Agent at Darley Anderson Literary Agency. She has a degree in English Literature from the University of Westminster then went on to achieve her Masters in Modern and Contemporary Fictions. Alongside assisting Camilla Bolton on her list of clients Jade is building her own list of suspense, thriller and horror with distinct voices and setting. Across these genres Jade looks for powerful female narratives and dynamic characterisation. She wants female characters like Shiv Roy (Succession), Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), Annalise Keating (How to Get Away with Murder), Buffy Summers (Buffy), Ellen Ripley (Alien), Dana Scully (The X Files), Detective Kima Greggs (The Wire). Jade would love something with a big book club hook that readers devour in one sitting. Setting and atmosphere are of huge appeal. She wants stories with a vivid sense of place and to be immersed in the world of the characters. Jade wants detail down to what shade of lipstick or colour of the lamp on their bedside table and the nature and landscape around them. She loves luxury settings she can get excited about reading and descriptions to lose herself in. Jade also loves dark twists on glamorous concepts and settings. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets Killing Eve, or Real Housewives or Succession meets How to Kill My Family or something akin to White Lotus.  Across the spectrum of horror and speculative fiction, Jade is looking for haunting stories filled with slow build darkness and characters with heart. Think 28 Days Later and The Last of Us. She really wants a dark witchy story… or on the cozier side a fresh take on something like Practical Magic or Charmed. Jade wants heroes to root for, and villains that terrify and enrage her in equal measure. One of Jade's favourite TV shows is Orphan Black; she'd love to see a book series like this. As a proud member of the Twilight generation, (Team Edward forever!) she’d also love to read a modern vampire novel. Show her American Psycho meets Dracula. Give her 2023 Carlisle Cullen in a thriller or a new take on Buffy. Whilst not actively looking for sci-fi novels, Jade would love to see A Scully and Mulder for the 2020s!  Notably, Jade looks for voices from all walks of life. She is incredibly passionate about bringing working-class voices into the commercial fiction space. She would love to hear from new exciting talent, telling stories about everyday people with relatable voices, people she grew up with, people she can imagine. Jade would like you to submit a covering letter, 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, Jade 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: Friday 1 November 2024

LOOKING FOR: YA, NA, ADULT FICTION Helen Lane is a Junior Agent at The Booker Albert Literary Agency. She is also an editor and a writer of Adult Fantasy and Horror. She has a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia and a postgrad qualification in Acoustics. She is passionate about books and has spent the last decade working with manuscripts. She lives in London with her family and the world’s naughtiest cocker spaniel. Helen represents Adult Fantasy, Sci Fi, Horror, Paranormal Romance, LGBTQ+ Romance, Action & Adventure & Thrillers. She also represents YA Fantasy. She is slightly obsessed with monster stories (especially if they have giant sharks or squids). And stories set in extreme environments such as the arctic, jungle, caves, ocean, and mountains. She DOES NOT want to read about affairs or abuse in any genre. (My husband likes me to add here that this is nothing to do with him, I just don't like sad stories). Her favourite authors are Mira Grant, Greig Beck, James Rollins, Matthew Reilly, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Darcy Coates, Patricia Briggs & Kelley Armstrong. To make querying more accessible she does not require personalisation in the letter, comparison titles or a synopsis. But if you have them already, please include them. Follow Helen on social media: @HFLane_writing Helen would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and first three chapters (Max 5,000 words) of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Helen 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: Friday 8th November 2024

LOOKING FOR: MG, ADULT FICTION Jo Williamson has been in publishing for over 25 years. Having worked in Children’s books PR for Dorling Kindersley, HarperCollins and Orion, she started as an agent with Antony Harwood in 2008. She feels very privileged being with authors at the very start of their publishing journey and enjoys close working relationships with all her clients. From editorial help, general advice on the publishing world, guiding careers long-term and general cheerleading, she feels she has the perfect job. Although nothing is off limits and she loves being surprised by submissions, In middle grade children's fiction, Jo is particularly looking for books with heart, epic adventures with voice-led characters, and younger funny fiction with series potential.  In adult fiction, page-turning Commercial Women’s and Book Club fiction are right up Jo's street, including psychological suspense, thriller, cosy crime and books that don’t quite fit the mould. Above all, she wants stories that linger long after the final page has been read. Jo is not the right fit for police procedurals. Jo 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, Jo 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 4 November 2024

LOOKING FOR: YA/NA FANTASY, SFF, HORROR, ADULT FICTION John joined the agency in 2019 where, as a junior agent, he is focusing on building his own small, cultivated list, shaped around his passion for Science Fiction and Fantasy, alongside providing administrative support across the agency. John also leads the film & TV desk for the wider agency and is on the Association of Author’s Agent’s Bridge Committee. John is building a small but unique list of authors, who all share a passion for subverting expectations and creating rich new worlds of adventure. John is looking for anything under the broad church of SFF, from literary to pulpy, high fantasy to gritty urban, but he would especially love to hear from anyone under-represented in the genre, particularly neurodiverse writers. John is also keen to grow his horror list, but definitely in the vein of psychological terror more than straight gore-fest. In particular, John is looking for lush and inventive YA/NA fantasy, science fiction and horror, especially stories that challenge the tropes and expectations of the genre. He would love some near-future sci-fi or speculative, in the vein of Black Mirror‘s more uplifting episodes, (e.g. San Junipero), or a high-concept rom-com like Palm Springs. He’s also on the hunt for some grounded speculative takes on modern-day professions, such as medicine, law, policing, politics, espionage, and international relations. After falling head over heels for his first romantasy, John is keen to see more cosy low-stakes, high-charm stories, or sweeping fantastical love stories (not adverse to a bit of spice), especially from under-represented backgrounds. John is still searching for his beefy epic fantasy, but it needs to be breaking the mould in some way, Sanderson will always be the best at being Sanderson. Anything building from a Non-Anglo-Christian cultural background would be a great start. Horror-wise, gothic will always be a favourite and he loves a mythologically inspired scarefest. He’s keen to read an intelligent creature feature from the POV of the monster, or even something with a strong romantic element amongst all the gore. He’s open to projects at the more literary end of the spectrum, a rich magical realism, or something character-led yet supernatural and would love a high-concept mystery, in the vein of Stuart Turton. He’s not the best agent for military sci-fi or hard-SF and the right comedic fantasy has yet to hit his inbox, (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 10,000 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: Friday 8 November 2024