Penguin Random House | London, 08/18/2017

‘Write Now’ 2017 Is on the Starting Blocks

Penguin Random House UK received over 1,700 manuscripts for this year’s second round of "Write Now" – but only 150 writing talents were given one of the limited places in the nationwide campaign and thereby an invitation to one of the three events, which Penguin Random House UK organizes in London, Bristol, and Newcastle in September. With "Write Now", the British publishing group aims to promote writing talents from under-represented communities, including writers from socio-economically marginalized backgrounds, writers with a disability, or those from the LGBTQ community as well as members of ethnic minorities.

The invited, talented writers, who had applied with extracts from thus far unpublished manuscripts, will receive personalized feedback for their work from editors during the events in September. Literary agents and several renowned Penguin Random House UK authors, including Elif Shafak, Kit de Waal, Afua Hirsch, or Fox Fisher, will also give the participants advice regarding the publishing business and the publication of a book.

After these events, ten of the participants will get to enjoy a one-year mentoring program with the overarching goal to get their own book published.

New Perspectives on the Bookshelves

Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House UK, said: "As the UK’s number one publisher, our job is to publish writers that start or change the conversation, and bring new perspectives to bookshelves across the UK when they are needed most. That’s why with ‘Write Now’ we’re going out into local communities to find, nurture and, I hope, publish talented new voices from communities that we know are not well represented in books and publishing today. I, and the many editors involved, have been very impressed by the originality, quality and creativity of this year’s ‘Write Now’ applicants and I can’t wait to meet them in September."

Fox Fisher, author of the book "Are You A Girl, Or Are You A Boy", added: "I got involved with ‘Write Now’ to encourage other members of under-represented groups to step up and gain confidence in writing by having the support of a mentor. This is such a fantastic scheme, one I would have pounced on if it was available when I was growing up. Seeing yourself represented in literature is such an important thing, to better understand ourselves and to feel a sense of belonging in the world."

Kit de Waal, author of "My Name is Leon", is thrilled to be involved in this year’s "Write Now": "This program reaches out beyond the usual channels and has already discovered some exciting new voices. Penguin Random House has extended an invitation to under-represented writers and it’s never been more important to be open-armed."  

"A Crucial Moment"

The applicants for this year’s program spanned a wide range of different backgrounds. Over a third of applicants were BAME (Black, Asian, or minority ethnic) writers, and over a third were LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer). Writers with a disability and writers from socio-economically marginalized backgrounds also made up a significant proportion of the submissions.

Writers participating in last year’s program found the project "Write Now" to be invaluable in helping them further develop their writing skills and understanding of how to get published. Emma-Jane Smith Barton, who is eight months into her mentoring program, said about her experience: "There was an amazing buzz at the insight day I attended last year. I met writers who have now become friends and the discussions were immensely stimulating. Most importantly, I came away absolutely enthused after my one-to-one session with a Penguin Random House editor. It was amazing to get such high quality feedback on my writing from an experienced industry professional." She added that the day was a crucial moment for her journey as a writer.

In addition to "Write Now", Penguin Random House UK has also set itself the goal of ensuring that its new hires and the books it acquires better reflect UK society in the future.