43 Ligature courses

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Kate Walsh joined United Agents in 2015 to assist founding agent Robert Kirby whilst actively building her own list. Fiction-wise, she works on a hugely broad list for expansive commercial genre fiction and is on the lookout for historical fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, clever commercial thrillers, romance and some SFF, particularly those with a dystopian slant, or earth-bound science fiction, however that comes. Kate will also look at YA, though is not the right fit for fantasy. On the non-fiction side, Kate has an impressive list of clients across the commercial spectrum. She's on the lookout mainly (although not exclusively) for music titles, history and broad-spectrum popular science, but is open to anything that feels like a fresh and original way of looking at the world. She is especially drawn to 20th and 21st century affairs, and welcomes anything from anyone willing to speculate on what comes next.  Kate 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, Kate is offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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 13 May 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 [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: Tuesday 14 May 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, YA THRILLER Saskia Leach is an Agent's Assistant at Kate Nash Literary Agency and is currently training to become a Junior Agent. She graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2020 with a BA degree in English and History, before joining Kate Nash Literary Agency in 2021. Saskia loves commercial fiction that features complex and dynamic characters and is fascinated by stories containing document inserts or written from multiple perspectives. Saskia enjoys commercial and book club fiction and is particularly looking for cosy crime from any period (whether contemporary like Janice Hallett and Richard Osman, traditional Golden Age murder mystery or historical), WW2 historical fiction in the vein of Heather Morris or Markus Zusak, twisty psychological thriller with a unique hook, LGBTQ+ romance, underrepresented voices and perspectives, YA thriller or romance, and locked-room thriller. Saskia would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first 2,500 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 [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: Monday 20 May 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 [https://twitter.com/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 [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 20 May 2024

LOOKING FOR: MG, YA, ADULT FICTION, ADULT NON-FICTION, NON-FICTION FOR 7+ Megan Carroll is looking for writers in a variety of areas, and from a wide range of backgrounds – she is particularly keen to hear from Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ writers. Her main areas of focus this year are adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as non-fiction for 7+, and MG and YA fiction. In Fiction, Megan is keen to see high-concept love stories (think The Flat Share or The Lock In) for both commercial and reading group readers. She’d love to see those familiar romance tropes – enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, love triangles, forbidden love etc. – with underrepresented characters at the centre. She is also looking for historical fiction and gothic horror (think Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Silvia Moreno-Garcia) – anything that has a creepy, uneasy undertone is likely for Megan’s list. Megan is also actively looking for upmarket fiction and would love to see layered family drama, contemporary stories about life today and darkly comic novels that explore a specific time, place or experience. In Non-Fiction, Megan is keen to hear from experts in their field talking about topics relating to film, music, true crime, popular culture, history and issues from largely unrepresented perspectives. She is keen to see memoir, narrative non-fiction and essay collections. In Children’s and YA, she is keen to see contemporary YA with humour, and romance at the heart – fun and emotional stories that appeal to the interests and issues of the teenage readers. She’d also love to see thrillers and horror stories for this age group too. It’s unlikely that high fantasy novels for YA readers will be right for her, but she is keen to see stories with fantasy elements in a real world setting. On the younger end, Megan is looking for funny, contemporary middle grade – think Louise Rennison and Karen McCombie – and anything creepy and spooky for 8-12 year old readers too. She’d love to find something like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and is keen to find original adventure stories in both fantasy and realistic settings. Megan would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters or 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Megan is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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 22 May 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Louise Buckley has worked in publishing for well over a decade. She was inspired to enter the publishing industry after completing an MA in Creative Writing and then spent a hugely enjoyable year working as a bookseller for Waterstones, wishing that she could have a hand in publishing books. After a year working at Dorling Kindersley, she then spent almost five years working in the commercial fiction division at Pan Macmillan, where she published a mix of commercial bestsellers and award-winning authors. Most recently, she was an Associate Literary Agent at Zeno Agency Ltd. As an agent she represented a roster of commercial and literary fiction, including Anne Griffin’s When All is Said, which spent five weeks at number one in Ireland and sold into 17 territories. She is delighted to be working with Hannah at Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency. Louise is looking for:- Literary and upmarket fiction that focusses on the underdog, the repressed, the suppressed. Louise is especially interested in novels that represent working-class people or children going through difficult circumstances (think Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal or Boys Don’t Cry by FÍona Scarlett). Irish literary and book club fiction. Think Claire Keegan, Louise Kennedy or Anne Griffin. In commercial fiction she loves novels set during the Second World War, such as The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christi Lefteri or The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart. Louise recently read and loved The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson and would love to see anything in the same ‘older person going on a journey’ category, a more recent The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Louise had a lot of fun publishing a ‘pet fiction’ novel as an editor (Molly and the Cat Café) and would love to find an author who can write an Alfie the Doorstep Cat/Dog. She has a soft spot for novels featuring time-travel or parallel universes, a ‘what if’ that plays around with conventions. At the literary end this would be books like Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes or This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. At the more commercial end Louise loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and Oona Out of Order by Martina Montimore. She also enjoys novels set in the real world but featuring a hefty dose of magic or the supernatural. They can be commercial or literary, present-day or historical. Think Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, Threadneedle by Cari Thomas, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness or The Gifts by Liz Hyder. And also cosy fantasy in the vein of Legends and Lattes or The House in the Cerulean Sea. Cosy or humorous crime. Recently, Louise absolutely loved Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans. When she was an editor Louise published the hit Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll and would love to represent incisive, intelligent suspense written by authors such as Jessica Knoll and Gillian Flynn, or something a little more subversive and blackly comic like My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. More generally, Louise would also love to see novels with a disabled protagonist or someone (like myself) who is living with an invisible disability. As an ex-primary school teacher, she also warmly welcomes submissions from teachers, especially if the submission falls into one of the other categories she has listed. Following-on from this, she enjoys reading stories that follow a ‘beating the system’ narrative. Louise is NOT looking for: -romance -romantasy -epic, traditional fantasy -space opera -straightforward women’s fiction -children’s fiction of any kind -non-fiction Louise would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters or 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Louise is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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: Tuesday 28 May 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Florence has been at A M Heath for five years and represents a range of commercial fiction and non-fiction. The authors she represents include Jaspreet Kaur, Salma El-Wardany, Rachel Thompson, Annie Lord, Angelica Malin and Phil Ellis. Their books range from the heart-breaking and profound to the inspirational, funny and wise, with almost everything in between. She’s keen to find non-fiction and fiction writers who speak to a millennial and younger audience, be that a journalist who is looking to expand an idea, a screenwriter who is looking to try their hand at fiction or perhaps an activist with a social media platform.  She’s actively looking for writers who are under-represented in the publishing world, through non-traditional channels, as well as her submissions, and is interested in environmental and social issues. For fiction, she always loves comforting, funny and warm reads, as well as gripping page-turners. She’d love to see any of the above but her favourite thing is to escape with a story she can’t put down. If you think your book fits with that, then do send it to her. Florence does not wish to receive, YA, Fantasy or Sci-fi.  Florence 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, Florence is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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 30 May 2024

LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Clare set up the Liverpool Literary Agency in 2020 to help address inequality and underrepresentation in the publishing industry. With more than 15 years’ experience of writing and editing professionally, including the publication of two novels, Definitions (2015) and We Are of Dust (2018 - which has received development funding from the Liverpool Film Office for a TV adaptation), she has developed an in-depth knowledge of what commissioning editors and publishers expect to see from a submitted manuscript. With a background in PR and marketing, alongside teaching on creative writing programmes, Clare also has extensive experience in pitching and promoting writers and has been nominated for the Romantic Novelist Association Agent of the Year Award! Clare would love to see historical fiction, crime fiction, psychological thrillers and women’s fiction, but she is open to all great writing with a strong hook in any area (excluding non-fiction, children’s and YA). She actively encourages submissions from writers who have been traditionally under-represented. Clare 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, Clare is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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 8 April 2024

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LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION, MG/YA inc GRAPHIC NOVELS Gyamfia Osei has joined Andrew Nurnberg Associates Ltd and is looking for writers of Children's and YA, commercial adult fiction and narrative non-fiction.   Gyamfia began her career in publishing working as a Bookseller at Waterstones, before joining Caskie Mushens as a literary assistant in 2018. She relocated to Amsterdam for two years, where she managed international sales for The Pepin Press and held the role of Editor for Plural Magazine, before returning to London in 2021 to start building her own list of authors at The Good Literary Agency. Gyamfia is now an agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, representing a diverse list of clients writing children’s books and a bespoke adult list focusing on commercial fiction and narrative non-fiction. Gyamfia is currently looking for contemporary children’s stories that are full of heart and joy-driven books that celebrate kids from underrepresented backgrounds (think Clare Weze, Kimberly Whittam and Elle McNicoll). Unique picture books, funny middle-grade and teen projects (think Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Glow Up Lara Bloom) are currently at the top of her list  this year. She is very interested in finding a graphic novel or illustrated project for either MG or YA readers.  In the adult fiction space, Gyamfia enjoys well-plotted, fast-paced narratives with authentic characters who lodge themselves in her mind long after she’s finished reading (think Big Little Lies, Verity and Girl A). She’s open to a broad range of genres, but would be particularly keen to see cosy crime, global stories and tightly plotted domestic noir.  In the adult non-fiction space, she would be happy to consider commercial narrative non-fiction and cultural history projects (think Brit(ish), It’s Not That Radical and Everything I Know About Love). She is very open when it comes to Children’s non-fiction but would be particularly interested to consider unique cookbooks aimed at young chefs, books exploring mental health/wellness and projects that bring the experiences of marginalised children to the forefront. Gyamfia would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the opening three chapters (max 5,000 words). For picture books please send two texts and a covering letter. (In addition to the paid sessions, Gyamfia is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk [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: Tuesday 28 May 2024