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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 10th March 2025

Time Management 1 Day Training in Livingston

Open Category- Company & Senior Section members from outside Glasgow Battalion 1. TEAMS Battalions and/or Companies may enter individuals for each event from Company and Senior Sections. 2. EVENTS There will be THREE race events: a. 2:00pm Junior Event for Young people aged 11, 12 and 13. Approximately 2.8km. b. 2:30pm Intermediate Event for Young people aged 14 and 15. Approximately 3.8km c. 3:00pm Senior Event for Young people aged 16, 17 and 18. Approximately 4.8km Presentation 3:30pm NOTE: i. *The young person’s age is to be taken as that on the date of the Event i.e. 15th March 2025, in accordance with latest Brigade Regulations. ii. No young person will be allowed to run unless he/she has been a member of the Brigade since 31st December of the preceding year. iii. No young person will be allowed to participate in an Event other than the one for which he/she is the correct age. *Young people membership is defined in Brigade Regulations. Upper age limits as membership until the end of the Session in which he/she attains their 18th birthday. 3. COMPOSITION OF TEAMS Battalions and/or Companies may enter an unrestricted number of young people into the races. The top THREE from each Battalion to count, for awarding of team trophies 4. BATTALION COMPETITIONS It will be possible for any Battalion to use this event as their Battalion competition. Results can be filtered by Battalion to provide you with information that can be used to present your own awards. Please indicate on the registration form that you wish to use this option and results will be provided on the day. You can, if you wish, make a presentation then, or at a later date. 5. ENTRY FEE An entry fee of £10.00 will be charged for each event entered. This fee covers up to a maximum of 5 young people, thereafter the fee will be £2.50 per head. Entries should be completed through link below, no later than Friday 28th February 2025 Stewarding The course at Bellahouston Park is a fairly compact circuit. Race lengths are approximately 2.8km, 3.8km & 4.8km Battalions/Companies entering the event should be prepared to assist with stewarding around the course.

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION / NON-FICTION Ciara McEllin is building her list as a Junior Agent at Watson Little. She reads widely across book club, upmarket and literary fiction. Within these areas, she is drawn to novels that examine family and relationship dynamics, sexuality, identity, and vulnerability. Ciara is keen to hear from writers who take a fresh approach to these themes, whether that be a new perspective on a traditional narrative or a focus on characters and voices that remain underrepresented: think Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday or Monkey Grip by Helen Garner. She will always want to read beautifully written novels with a strong sense of place, tangible characters and an essence that stays with you – living deep in your bones – long after you’ve finished reading. Recent reads Ciara has enjoyed include: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, Close to Home by Michael Magee, Siblings by Brigitte Reimann, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, Highway Blue by Ailsa McFarlane and My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley. At the moment Ciara is particularly eager to see: - Sexy, sensual and seductive stories that explore desire and sexual boundaries not often represented in literature such as Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej, Cleanness by Garth Greenwell and Mrs. S by K Patrick - An atmospheric and existential thriller in the vein of Intimacies by Katie Kitamura, In The Cut by Susanna Moore and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - An intoxicating coming of-age-tale that captures the aliveness, intelligence and wildness of girlhood like Brutes by Dizz Tate, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Girls by Emma Cline - Books that are joyful or brutal, particularly those that are both, similar to Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - Stories exploring an Australia or Ireland that is rarely seen in literature for example A Loving, Faithful Animal by Josephine Rowe and Wild Houses by Colin Barrett In non-fiction, Ciara enjoys narrative, memoir and essay collections. She is interested in hearing from experts, academics, critics and journalists writing about society, culture and food, and excited by writers seeking to revise, reshape or revolutionise the conversation in their area of expertise. Some of her favourite non-fiction titles include How To Survive A Plague by David France, The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye, the Living Autobiography Series by Deborah Levy, Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, King Kong Theory by Virginie Despentes; and she particularly enjoys the work of M.F.K Fisher, Annie Ernaux, Natalia Ginsburg and Helen Garner. Ciara is not looking for Children’s, YA or Fantasy. Ciara 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, Ciara 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 13th March 2025

Time Management 1 Day Training in Luton

Phoenix Pottery and Art Studio offers a calendar of pottery and Art classes and workshops. Hosting creative workshops including watercolour painting, pottery, glass fusing, multimedia and seasonal workshops with guest artists. The regular mindful Art Club meets weekly , plus mindfulness with clay and mindful painting workshops. Creativity for health and well-being are our primary focus. We run occasional workshops for children during the holidays. Private bookings are available by request and the hire of studio is available for your own workshops.

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.

Phoenix Pottery offers A calendar of creative classes and workshops including pottery classes, glass fusing, watercolour painting and spring wreath making plus much more. Situated in Golborne close to Warrington, Wigan, St Helens and Northwest UK, with easy motorway access. Approx 20 miles from Manchester and Liverpool.

Introduction to International Trade This module provides a foundational understanding of the development and significance of international trade, focusing on the UK's trade strategy and its global role. Participants will explore key topics such as trade definitions, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the evolution of customs, and major post-WW2 trade developments. Additionally, the module covers the UK's entry into and exit from the EU, and the current UK Digital Strategy for International Trade. **Agenda Highlights**: - Definitions and importance of international trade - Overview of the WTO - Customs fundamentals - Post-WW2 global trade growth - Impact of EU membership and Brexit - UK Digital Strategy for international trade growth

Official BRCGS Packaging Sites Issue 6 course. Delivered online (Zoom) by a live BRCGS Approved Training Partner. Exam and Certificate fee included in the price.