Jacqui works closely with all the consultants on her team to ensure that your work is given close attention by a mentor/coach/editor who is just right for your writing project.
Emma Darwin’s debut novel The Mathematics of Love was published in 2006. The Times described it as: “that rare thing, a book that works on every conceivable level. A real achievement.” The book was shortlisted and longlist for several prizes including the Commonwealth Writers Best First Book. Emma’s bestselling second novel, A Secret Alchemy, was published in 2008; The Daily Mail acclaimed it as “powerful and utterly convincing”, and The Times as one of their 50 Best Paperbacks of 2009. Emma is an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing with the Open University and has a PhD in Creative Writing, in which she explored the writing of historical fiction.
Sara Starbuck began her publishing career in the sales department of Hodder & Stoughton before moving into editorial where she was assistant to the editorial director, and a commissioning editor of popular fiction. In 2001, she joined literary agency Gillon Aitken and in 2003 moved to PFD where she worked for the TV department and as a reader and editor of unsolicited manuscripts. In 2007 she left along with the other founders of United Agents, where she worked for a further two years as a spoken word agent and vetted submissions for children’s department. Sara’s non-fiction memoir Breakfast Epiphanies was published in 2004, and her children’s novels featuring The Dread Pirate Fleur; The Ruby Heart and The Hangman’s Noose are with Random House.
Since she was twenty-four, Amanda has published about fifteen novels in different genres, including psychological thrillers, sc-fi, fantastical realism and romcom. She has used assorted pen-names and had many publishers including Faber, Little Brown, Random House, and Viking Penguin. Amanda has racked up rave reviews in newspapers from the San Francisco Chronicle to the TLS, the Indy to the Sun. Her sidelines include performance poetry, journalism – specialising in features and adventure travel – and business scripts. She has also worked on an account of Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, The Edge of War, with Middle East expert Alex Darwin. She is a passionate believer in the vitality of language and the need for everyone to read – and write! – more books.
Dr Sharon Zink
Sharon Zink published her first collection of poetry, Rain in the Upper Floor Café aged seventeen and was named ‘Shell Young Poet of the Year’. She studied English at Queen Mary, University of London, read for a M.Phil. in Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Jesus College, Cambridge, and gained her Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Lisa Jardine. Sharon taught at various universities before abandoning academia to focus on fiction. Since then she received the title of Writers Inc. Writer of the Year and has also been short-listed for the Raymond Carver and New Writer story awards, being named in the latter as the Editor’s Choice. Her work has been published in the U.K., U.S. and in translation in Mexico.
John Harding read English at St Catherine’s College Oxford and began his career as a newspaper reporter. He has written for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and a variety of magazines including the Sunday Times Magazine and You magazine.
His first novel What We Did On Our Holiday (2000) was a bestseller and short listed for the WH Smith Best First Novel Award. It was filmed in 2006 by Granada TV. His novels While the Sun Shines (2002) and One Big Damn Puzzler (2005) were published to great critical acclaim. John’s new novel Florence and Giles was published by Blue Door (Harper Collins) in 2010.
Tony Bevan began his professional writing career at the age of 18 when he was hired as a planning scenario writer for a human resource consultancy. He later explored advertising, creating multimedia campaigns for UK brands including Jaguar, Range Rover, Childline, and AGA Rayburn. In 1996, with like-minded friends, Tony established a cooperative organic farm. He also began to pursue his passion in earnest — teaching writing as a transformational process. Marriage in 2007 carried him to Japan where he coaches writers for whom English is a foreign language. Tony specializes in working with academic and business writers, and facilitating individual and group creative process.
Leigh Ferrani trained as an actor at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London. She co-founded Theatre Unlimited and produced and performed in the West End. Leigh has written audition and corporate speeches, writes sketch material for comedians, and is co-founder of the scriptwriting team Darkstuff Productions. Her first novel was the darkly comic Indigo Flats and she has ghost written several memoirs, including For Crying Out Loud, a harrowing account of domestic abuse. Her next book, Lord of the Wedding Rings, is released in spring 2011 and is the humorous but poignant memoir of Britain’s most married man. Leigh writes for the stage and pens and directs radio ads and audio books for Plug, an audio advertising agency. She is a freelance journalist and is currently editor of a glossy lifestyle magazine in the SW.
Paula Gardner has combined a twenty year career as owner of Do Your Own PR (a PR coaching consultancy) with freelance writing. She is the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 Days or Less, and Do Your Own PR. Paula advises clients on how to plan and write a non-fiction book. As a journalist, Paula has had work published in many magazines including New Woman, Junior, and The Stage. She is the editor of the women’s literary website http://www.chicklit.co.uk. Paula works with clients to help create, shape and sell stories to the press, and can advise on the business, as well as creative side of setting up as a freelance writer.
Fiona Robyn is a poet, novelist and daily blogger. Her three novels, The Letters, Thaw and The Blue Handbag are all published by Snowbooks. Her previous books are Small Stones, A Year of Questions: How to slow down and fall in love with life and a collection of poetry. She is a qualified coach and therapist with many years of experience, working with people to help them find their own answers. Fiona grew up in Norfolk and Malaysia and now lives in Malvern with her partner, cats, and a vegetable patch. She is particularly interested in helping writers to set up sustainable working practices and to find their own authentic style.