LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, YA THRILLER Saskia Leach is a Junior Literary Agent at Kate Nash Literary Agency, where she has been working since 2021. She loves stories that features complex and dynamic characters and is fascinated by books containing document inserts or written from multiple perspectives. Saskia represents fiction for adults and young adults in the genres of crime, thriller, romance, historical/saga, horror, speculative and bookclub. She does not represent literary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, non-fiction, action/adventure thrillers, non-fiction, picture books or chapter books for children younger than middle grade. Saskia is particularly looking for LGBTQIA+ romance, high concept psychological thriller with a unique hook or set in an unusual location, and bookclub fiction revolving around a moral dilemma - but she is open to reading submissions in all genres she represents. She is keen to hear from writers from underrepresented voices and perspectives. Saskia 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, Saskia 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 to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice given in your Agent121. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 2nd April 2025
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 31st March 2025
LOOKING FOR: PICTURE BOOKS Barry Timms is a children's picture book editorial consultant with over twenty years' experience. He has also edited preschool books, non-fiction and young fiction works. Barry's editorial roles include senior and managerial positions at Macmillan Children's Book, Walker Books and Little Tiger Group, making commercially successful books of the UK, US and international markets. Barry is also an award winning author of over fifteen picture books. This is NOT a Unicorn!, published by Nosy Crow, won the Stockport Children's Book Award 2022. Barry would like you to submit a covering letter and a maximum of two picture book texts to be discussed. This should be in one Word document with the cover letter at the top. The texts should be for children aged within the 2-6 years age bracket and can be in prose or rhyme. As well as conventional fiction narratives, narrative non-fiction is also acceptable. (In addition to the paid sessions, Barry 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 2nd April 2025
LOOKING FOR: YA, NA, ADULT FICTION Helen Lane has been an established agent for several years, formerly with the Booker Albert Agency before joining the Ki Agency. She has a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia and a postgrad qualification in Acoustics. She lives in London with her family and the world’s naughtiest cocker spaniel. Helen represents (Adult) Fantasy, Sci Fi, Horror, Romance, Action & Adventure, and Thrillers. She also represents select YA Fantasy, Horror, and Sci Fi. Her tastes do run towards the dark and she is slightly obsessed with monster stories in general (especially if they have giant sharks or squids). And stories set in extreme environments such as the arctic, jungle, caves, ocean, and mountains. But she DOES NOT want to read about affairs or abuse in any genre. (Her husband likes her to add here that this is nothing to do with him, she just doesn’t like sad stories). Her favourite authors are Mira Grant, Greig Beck, James Rollins, Matthew Reilly, Darcy Coates, Andy Weir, Clive Cussler, R F Kuang, Patricia Briggs, and Kelley Armstrong. Her comfort movies are: Jaws, Outbreak, The Cave, Sanctum, Scream, Buffy, Grey's Anatomy, Charmed, Vampire Diaries. You can find her on: Bluesky: @helenlane.bsky.social Instagram: hflane_agenting 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: Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Welcome to Print Production: Professional Training for Printing Jobs. In this course, you'll learn: Fundamentals of Print Production:Introduction to the printing industryHistorical perspective and evolution of printOverview of print technologies and methods Process of Print Production:Step-by-step breakdown of the print production workflowUnderstanding pre-press, press, and post-press processesTroubleshooting common issues in the production pipeline Tools of Print Production:In-depth exploration of industry-standard softwarePractical use of design and layout toolsOverview of hardware and machinery used in print production Understanding Colour:Color theory and its application in printColor spaces, models, and calibrationTechniques for achieving accurate and consistent color reproduction Binding and Finishing:Various binding methods and their applicationsFinishing techniques for different print materialsQuality control in binding and finishing processes Preparing Raster Images:Best practices for working with raster imagesImage resolution, color modes, and file formatsHands-on exercises for image optimization in print projects Understanding Fonts:Typography essentials for printFont selection and pairingHandling fonts in various design software Photoshop Production Tips:Advanced techniques for image manipulation and enhancementOptimizing images for printIntegration of Photoshop into the print production workflow Illustrator Production Tips:Vector graphics essentialsCreating print-ready illustrations and designsLeveraging Illustrator tools for efficient print production
Course Information Designed to develop personal proficiency in audit planning, execution and reporting, this course is meticulously crafted to refine essential audit skill sets. Through immersive scenarios focused on on-site audit conduct (with an alternative Remote Auditing Course available), participants will engage deeply in the audit process. Extending Expertise: Applicable across all audit types, this course builds upon and enriches the foundational concepts taught in RQA's suite of research quality assurance courses. From 'Research Quality Assurance for Good Laboratory Practice' to 'Good Clinical Practice Auditing – Principles and Practice' and 'Good Manufacturing Practice for Investigational Medicinal Products,' this programme extends the scope of learning. Relevance and Value: Relevant to any area of regulated research and development, this course shines particularly in contexts mandating a quality system for audit. Participants with prior audit experience will gain maximum value from this course. Key Benefits: Enrich your skill set to: Navigate audit processes encompassing planning, execution, reporting, and follow-up Embrace a personalised approach fostering positive audit outcomes Analyse evidence and present cohesive audit findings Recognise the pivotal role of audits in driving continual improvement. Interactive Learning: Structured to foster dynamic engagement, this course encourages delegates to: Engage in discussions, idea development, and problem-solving Exchange invaluable information and experiences. Hands-On Experience: A highlight of this course is the series of practical workshops, where delegates work in small syndicate groups, applying the acquired skills from lectures into real-world scenarios. Tutors Tutors will be comprised of (click the photos for biographies): Andrew Waddell Founder Director, Tower Mains Ltd Rosemary Ichaba Senior QA Associate, Tower Mains Ltd Cate Ovington Director, The Knowlogy Group Ltd Jean McWilliam Associate Director, Alexion View pop up Programme Please note timings may be subject to alteration. Day 1 08:45 Registration 09:00 Welcome and Course Objectives 09:10 What is 'Audit'? Delegates explore the range of audits which they have experienced, define the purpose of each audit type and establish which of those audits are performed to meet regulatory requirements. 09:30 Audits and their Purpose The concepts of quality assurance, quality control, quality management and audit are discussed. 10:30 Break 10:45 Audit Planning The requirements for an effective audit programme and individual audit plans. 11:30 Workshop 1 - Getting the Audit Started Planning for the audit. 12:25 Workshop 1 - Feedback 12:45 Lunch 13:30 Workshop 2 - Getting the Audit Started Arranging the opening meeting. 13:50 Workshop 2 - Feedback Audit initiation. Review and discussion of the role of the opening meeting. 14:25 Auditing Techniques (1) - Data and Documentation Techniques for the conduct of data and report audits are investigated. 14:55 Break 15:10 Workshop 3 - Data and Documentation Audit Conducting an audit of a data package and supporting documentation. 17:15 Close of Day Day 2 09:00 Auditing Techniques (2) - The People Questioning techniques which get the required information from the auditee. 09:45 Live Audit Role Play Auditor and auditee behaviours are explored and strategies developed for successful audit interactions. 10:15 Break 10:35 Audit Closing Meeting An exploration of audit closing meetings. 11:00 Workshop 4 - Audit Observations and Preparing for the Closing Meeting Reviewing and categorising your observations and getting ready to present your case. 11:45 Workshop 4 - Feedback 12:30 Audit Reports The content and distribution of an effective audit report are investigated and the importance of effective written communication is discussed. 13:00 Lunch 13:45 Workshop 5 - Audit Reports and Follow-up Mechanisms for promoting effective corrective and preventive action. Critical review of an audit report example. 14:30 Workshop 5 - Feedback 14:55 Corrective and Preventive Action and Follow-up The auditor's role in monitoring responses to audit and the corrective and preventive actions promised is explored. 15:20 Panel Session An opportunity to get answers to outstanding questions. 15:30 Close of Course Extra Information Course material Course material will be available in PDF format for delegates attending this course. The advantages of this include: Ability for delegates to keep material on a mobile device Ability to review material at any time pre and post course Environmental benefits – less paper being used per course. The material will be emailed in advance of the course and RQA will not be providing any printed copies of the course notes during the training itself. Delegates wishing to have a hard copy of the notes should print these in advance to bring with them. Alternatively delegates are welcome to bring along their own portable devices to view the material during the training sessions. CPD Points 14 Points Development Level Develop
This evening class is a great opportunity to meet and socialise with other local creatives whilst learning and experimenting with the screenprint process.