29384 Courses

LOOKING FOR: MG, YA AND ADULT SCI-FI / FANTASY, CHILDREN'S NON-FICTION After graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in English Literature and Art History, Maddy followed her love of literature to an internship at non-fiction literary agency Graham Maw Christie. At GMC, Maddy worked her way up to Agent and built a list of authors who wrote for both for adults and children, spanning history, tarot, and nature writing. An avid reader of anything magical, Maddy joined Madeleine Milburn in 2022 to build a list specialising in SFF. Maddy would like to see SFF across all genres for all ages, including: grim dark, thriller, historical, romance, cosy fantasy, sci-fi, epic, YA fantasy, dark academia, contemporary fantasy, fantasy middle-grade, mythology, fairy tale and queer fantasy. Inspiring children’s non-fiction. She loves worlds to get lost in, adventures that transform what it means to be a hero, and unique magic that offers as many problems as solutions. She likes books that make her cry and books that change her mind. Above all, when she finishes a story about another world, she wants it to have taught her a lesson which helps her live in this one. She loves all fantasy, but favours richly imagined, complex worlds with a history to discover and a future to protect. Worldbuilding is one of her favourite aspects of this genre and she is always looking for a new, dense world with series potential. Think Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere or the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the bigger the better! She also likes character-driven fantasy with a diverse cast to root for (or root against) and she wants to see a range of different relationships depicted authentically. She particularly like epics that dip into big, universal themes such as grief, climate change, or war and which ask impossible questions in the vein of R.F. Kuang or N.K. Jemisin. She is also excited by authors that play with form and language in a fantasy setting. In YA, she is looking for much the same as in an adult fantasy, but with younger protagonists and a closer focus on relationships. She wants to see the tropes she knows and loves in new and exciting forms and her favourite YA books often centre around belonging and becoming. She likes a dash of romance in everything, because she is sentimental that way, but it’s particularly important in the YA space. Sci-fi is a big passion of hers, especially when it comes with a strong hook. She is a huge fan of Becky Chamber’s The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and Michaiah Johnson’s The Space Between Worlds. She likes space as a metaphor, and would love something that explores different alien species. Please send her your space operas and sci-fi romances which combine space, magic and mayhem! In fantasy middle grade, she favours whimsy and animal companions; she would love to follow a group of kids through magic school. She tends to look for plenty of humour with a strong friendship at the centre, and she wants middle grade stories which engage with the concerns of children growing up as well as offering an all-important escape (preferably on a dragon/unicorn’s back). She is also looking for children’s non-fiction for all ages. In this space, she wants something as creative as it is informative, and thinks diverse voices are increasingly important. Maddy would like you to submit a covering letter, one page synopsis and the first three chapters (Max 5000 words) of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Maddy 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 28 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: Monday 9th December 2024

LOOKING FOR: PICTURE BOOKS, MG, YA Clare Wallace joined the Darley Anderson Agency in January 2011 and is building both the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency and the Darley Anderson Illustration Agency lists. As chief talent-spotter, Clare loves to discover memorable new characters, bold and unique voices, strong concepts and gripping storytelling. She represents picture books, middle-grade, teenage and YA. Clare is particularly looking for funny chapter books for younger readers at the moment, as well as contemporary MG, YA fantasy, romance, and rom coms, especially with underrepresented protagonists. Whatever the age range, Clare loves a big hook, a lot of heart, and a standout voice. For picture books she has the widest taste, from daft to lyrical, rhyming to prose. If your submission doesn’t fit a description here, it doesn’t mean Clare doesn’t want to receive it. She often doesn’t know what she’s looking for until she finds it (although she is not the person for steampunk or space opera). Her list gives a good indication of her taste. The clients Clare represents include Perdita & Honor Cargill, Caroline Crowe, Tom Ellen, Martyn Ford, Stewart Foster, Olivia Hope, A M Howell, Polly Ho-Yen, Rachel Ip, Beth Reekles, J.P. Rose, Lindsay Galvin, Dave Rudden, Deirdre Sullivan and Efua Traoré. Clare would like you to send a covering letter, a one page synopsis and the first three chapters (Max 5000 words) of your manuscript. For picture books, please submit a covering letter and up to three completed texts. Please send EITHER picture books OR another genre, not both in one submission. (In addition to the paid sessions, Clare 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: Thursday 12 December 2024

Free Creative Writing workshop: Light: This workshop will touch on perspective. What happens when we warp characters' powers of observation? Or they see part of something but don’t appreciate the whole?

A single day knife making course is a great way to make yourself an item that will last a lifetime, on this one day course we forge a blacksmiths knife (also called a Viking knife) a full metal knife with integral handle. A knife is one of the oldest tools ever made by humanity and it is one that invokes many emotions to people when they see and use it for a productive task. When doing a knife making course here at Bearded Pig Forge we will discuss the fine details of a knife and how they are made as well as the history of forging them.  On the course you will learn the basics of forging a blade and how to effectively heat treat them in order to get the most use out of the blades as well as techniques for sharpening and honing blades. Courses are £150 Per person per day.  I run a strict cancellation policy. If you cannot attend the date you have booked please contact me within three weeks and I will rebook your course for free, If you contact me after this deadline you will lose your place. Refunds are not available. No under 18s  If you have a physical gift voucher it must be presented on the first day of a course.

You MUST complete E-Learning on The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training On Learning Disabilites & Autism before you attend further training. This is free and can be accessed here: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Component/Details/781480 The training contains potentially challenging material that mentions death and dying, trauma, mental and physical illness, system failures and inequalities faced by autistic people and people with a learning disability. Tier 2 - Train The Facilitator Course Information  Suitable For: People who have the skills and experience needed to deliver Tier 2 Face-to-Face training to trainees who provide support and/or care of autistic people or people with a learning disability. Course Summary:  Tier 2 Train The Facilitator is a 2 day course. Trainee Facilitators need to: Complete the E-learning Attend a live Tier 2 training session Day 1 - Learning Disability Training Day Day 2 - Autism Training Day The trainee will then be assessed by our Lead Trainer where a decision will be made regarding signing the trainee off to delivery training. Information about The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disabilities & Autism The training is named after Oliver McGowan. Oliver was a young man whose death at the age of 18, shone a light on the need for health and social care colleagues to have better skills, knowledge and understanding of the needs for autistic people and people with a learning disability. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government’s preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff and is enshrined in law in the Health & Care Act 2022. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is co-delivered with a Facilitator and co-trainers with lived experience of learning disability and autism. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is a standardised package that is delivered by trained and approved trainers. The consistent content and delivery means it is transferable between employers. Content may trigger difficult and upsetting feelings. Please note that for this course to run there is a minimum of 3 trainees to attend; if this is not met by the day before the course it may not go ahead and you will need to reschedule.