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
Join Stephie from Hoop & Fred for an afternoon of creative self-care in this Stamp & Stitch workshop!
From propaganda to advertising, posters are a ubiquitous, powerful vehicle to take a message to the masses. Over four weeks, learn how to approach poster design in a creative and practical way. Although some computer work will be introduced, it will only be used as another production tool, participants will be encouraged to experiment with analogue techniques such as collage and hand-generated type. You will learn about the history of poster design; learn to use aspects of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop; develop approaches to letterform and layout. The emphasis of this course is on the development of a set of posters from research and design through to output. Week 1: History History of Poster Design: Looking at significant and famous posters from around the globe and their impact on society. Practical activity: After a quick introduction to InDesign we will recreate one of these posters, studying the component parts and their relationships to one another. Homework: Think of a concept for your design. What is it for? Who is your target audience? Where and how will it be displayed? Select a favourite poster to bring in or discuss with the group in week 2. Week 2: Image We will begin by discussing participant posters they have brought in to share and look at positives and potential negatives within the designs. Image selection can be a key factor to the success of your poster campaign. We will think about the choices between photography and illustration looking at examples of how this is done successfully. Think about the different ways we can generate and use images. Practical activity: Consider what medium the image might be and how it can be created. Learn about flatbed/film scanner for potential use in image creation. Week 3: Fonts We will look at how typography impacts designs and the messages that it can convey by itself. Consider various approaches to how we can generate type. How typographic selections work alongside selected images. Practical activity: Work through a few typographic workshops thinking about how typographic choices will alter the message you are trying to convey. We will consider various ways and techniques of creating type for our poster. Homework: Developing your typographic solution further, if required. Work through variations of layout. Week 4: Output Continue working on our posters making final tweaks and selecting the poster that is our most successful design for output. We will look at the various formats for output and how we prepare our posters for print. Look at usage of different poster sizes – why use one over the other?? Practical activity: Size your final poster and get it ready for output (if working analogue, scan final poster and upscale). Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.
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
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN + NICKY SIMPSON ONLINE ON-DEMAND FEES: FULL COURSE £35 WHAT THE COURSE IS ABOUT: A great short course, led by textile artist NICKY SIMPSON. This course introduces you to repeat patterning using PowerPoint, with video tutorials and comprehensive step-by-step guides. Whether you are using this in school, wanting to print for fashion or furnishing, or simply printing a T-shirt, this is a great way to get your own artwork or photographs into a repeat pattern for printing. It can also be used to print on paper for cards or letters and much more. This course shows how you can easily do repeat pattern designs, layering designs, inserting your designs into shapes and fashion illustration, with lots of exemplars and some inspirational designers. WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR: This course is suitable for anyone. You may be a teacher wanting to up-skill, a student who wants to further your current knowledge, or anyone who would like to be more creative with very limited equipment! All these tutorials can be used directly with students in schools. WHAT TO EXPECT: This comprehensive course offers a series of 6 short video tutorials, where you can practice alongside Nicky, working in your own time, at your own pace. Each video can be paused and rewound, using step-by-step guides. Introduction: Welcome to the training room Video Tutorial 1: How to use the Picture Format Tool Bar Video Tutorial 2: Creating Repeat Patterns Video Tutorial 3: CAD from your own primary images Video Tutorial 4: Layering images Video Tutorial 5: Inserting Your Repeat Patterns Into Shapes Video Tutorial 6: Fashion Illustration PDF: Designers & Exemplars LEARNING OUTCOMES: Learn and practice a new and exciting skill. Develop confidence and enhance your IT skills with free tools! Create exciting repeat patterns that can be used for fashion, interiors or stationary. A creative activity to get your own photographs into a repeat pattern ready for printing. YOUR TRAINER:
Lino printing workshop