Writers' Handbook 2025 now available as an ebook
firstwriter.com – Saturday January 25, 2025
Following last month's release of the print edition of firstwriter.com's 2025 edition of its Writers' Handbook, the digital editions are now also available from various outlets around the world. These include:
New Media Writing Prize open for entries
bournemouth.ac.uk – Saturday January 25, 2025
The 2024/5 New Media Writing Prize is now open for entries, with cash prizes for the best in interactive digital narrative, literature, and journalism.
The NMWP is seeking original works of “born-digital” storytelling (fiction or non-fiction): works created on digital devices, for digital devices. These include hypertexts, participatory films, i-documentaries, Twine stories, transmedia novels, and more.
The competition is free to enter. The main prize of £1000 is sponsored by if:book, with £500 prizes for best journalism (sponsor: FIPP media) and a “people’s choice” category (sponsor: Wonderbox Digital). Winner of the student prize will win a year’s membership from sponsor Writers Online.
Julie Finidori joins Aevitas Creative Management UK
thebookseller.com – Saturday January 25, 2025
French agent Julie Finidori has joined Aevitas Creative Management UK (ACM UK). She will be based in Paris, representing French-language books in France and English-language books internationally. Findori joins ACM UK from her own agency in Paris, where she represented a roster of authors including Pauline Harmange (I Hate Men), Fania Noël (Ten Questions on Black Feminisms), Nora Bouazzouni (Eat the Rich) and Pınar Selek (The Turkish Military Cauldron).
Before becoming an agent, Julie managed foreign rights at Albin Michel, living all over the world, including Indonesia, Sweden, the United States, Canada and Turkey.
Finidori said: "I’m very happy to be joining such a dynamic and exciting international agency and learning and growing with all my new partners. I’m already amazed by the support and opportunities this collaboration is generating and I feel very lucky to be a part of the Aevitas community."
Sir Ian Rankin announced for key role at crime writing festival
heraldscotland.com – Thursday January 23, 2025
Rebus author Sir Ian Rankin has been announced as a guest programmer for the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival later this year.
The best-selling novelist has sold more than 35 million books and was awarded a knighthood in 2023 for services to literature and charity, and becomes the first ever guest programmer invited to join the team.
Bloody Scotland will run from September 12 to 14 in Stirling and Sir Ian will join fellow authors Abir Mukherjee, Lin Anderson, Craig Robertson and Gordon J. Brown as part of the programming team.
They will bring a ‘world-class’ line-up of authors and special guests to the festival with the programme to be launched in June this year.
Sir Ian Rankin said: “Bloody Scotland manages to remain the world’s friendliest and most inclusive crime fiction festival while also attracting the biggest and brightest names in the business to the city of Stirling. It’s epic!”
Bournemouth Writing Festival returns this April for weekend of panels, workshops & networking
dorsetbiznews.co.uk – Wednesday January 22, 2025
Tickets are now on sale for the third Bournemouth Writing Festival to be held over the weekend of 25 to 27 April at locations throughout the town centre.
The three days will be packed with around 100 events and activities – some free – to inspire writers of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience.
There’ll be walks, talks, panels, workshops, informal networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and literary agent one-to-ones.
The popular Writing on the Beach will make its return, along with special evening events from the Outsiders Project and Bourn Jammy.
That’s on top of a poetry hub, free workshops for marginalised members of the community, children’s activities at newly opened co-working space Patch, and an author’s marketplace for local writers.
Closing the festival on Sunday night will be Making Waves – a showcase for new and emerging writers hosted by Arts University Bournemouth.
Bournemouth Writing Festival announces 2025 line-up
buzz.bournemouth.ac.uk – Friday January 17, 2025
Bournemouth Writing Festival have announced their line-up for this year’s festival.
The festival takes place from 25th-27th April 2025 at a range of venues in the area.
It features a range of free and ticketed events, aims to inspire writers to write with practical and hands-on events, workshops, talks, writing activities and networking opportunities.
The three-day festival is a carefully curated selection of self-published, published and writing professionals who share their knowledge and advice to writers of all ages and experience levels.
Amongst the professionals attending, there are best-selling authors like Alex Stone (The Good Patient), BAFTA award-winning playwright and screenwriter John Foster (Emmerdale) and creative collaborator and Curator for Wilkswood Reggae Festival, poet Kim West.
The Good Literary Agency founders 'heartbroken' to close agency after funding bid 'fails'
thebookseller.com – Thursday January 16, 2025
The Good Literary Agency (TGLA) will close at the end of March with all staff, including agents, being made redundant.
Co-founders Julia Kingsford and Nikesh Shukla said they had tried to save the business but “failed” to be awarded additional funding they applied for. The founders said that, despite cutbacks and a restructure, they had taken the "heartbreaking" decision to close the agency.
All book contracts and all future earnings will revert to their authors and TGLA said it will work with publishers to transfer them over the coming months.
Amandeep Singh and Kerry-Ann Bentley, who joined as literary agents in 2023, and agency assistant Arden Jones are among those being made redundant.
TGLA was founded as a social enterprise agency for British writers from under-represented backgrounds in 2018. It was launched with an initial three years’ worth of funding by Arts Council England as part of their Ambition for Excellence programme and later became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
South Warwickshire Literary Festival launches annual writing competition
stratfordobserver.co.uk – Wednesday January 15, 2025
THE COUNTDOWN to the South Warwickshire Literary Festival has officially begun with the launch of this year’s writing competition.
Open until Friday March 28, the competition allows writers from around the world to be part of the festival, which is taking place for the fourth time in September.
The writing competition has four categories – fiction, creative non-fiction, flash fiction and poetry.
For each category the winner will take a £75 prize, while a commended entry will win £25.
Details announced for the 2025 Bournemouth Writing Festival featuring around 100 events
news.bournemouthone.com – Monday January 13, 2025
Details have been announced for the third Bournemouth Writing Festival, to be held over the weekend of 25th to 27th April at various locations in Bournemouth town centre.
The three days will feature around 100 events and activities (some free) to inspire writers of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience.
There will be talks, walks, panels, workshops, informal networking breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and literary agent 1-2-1s.
Writing on the Beach will return as well as a Words for Wellbeing Chillout Zone at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, and special evening events from the Outsiders Project and Bourn Jammy.
Closing the festival on the Sunday night will be Making Waves, a showcase for new and emerging writers hosted by Arts University Bournemouth.
Ulysses Press, Spot Gloss Media Form Bluestone Books
publishersweekly.com – Sunday January 12, 2025
The owners of the independent publisher Ulysses Press and the book packing and publishing company Spot Gloss Media have banded together to form Bluestone Books. The new company “will specialize in popular culture, practical nonfiction, and concept-driven children’s titles," per an announcement. Its first list of nine titles is planned for this summer, and the founders hope to release 25-30 books annually.
Bluestone is the brainchild of Keith Riegert, CEO of Ulysses and one of the cofounders of Perfect Bound, an online marketplace that connects publishers and printers while also providing title management services. Spot Gloss was formed late last year through the merger of Hollan Publishing, owned by Holly Schmidt, and Castle Point Publishing, run by Bruce Lubin. The company develops books in a range of adult categories as well as titles for the children’s and Christian markets, and Schmidt and Lubin have worked on dozens of titles that have been published by Ulysses over the last 20 years.
Get the free newsletter | Submit a news item or article | Get Writers' News for your website
