The Jericho Writers‘ festival stayed in London again this year, but in a fancy new venue, the Leonardo Hotel in Tower Bridge. As before, I’ll let the photos do the talking. 

The joy of seeing novels by three of our fabulous self-edit alumni will never get old. 

 

This year, there was merch!

My Facing the Fear workshop. Didn’t manage to take any pix of the self-edit session.

 

 

 

 

 

Big thanks as always to our panel of agents, Silé Edwards

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Aptos”,sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

, Ciara Finan, Megan Carroll, Laura Williams, Louise Buckley, Susan Yearwood, whose feedback is always so useful.

I was delighted to see Marve had applied for the bursary for the self-edit course as, by now, I knew I really wanted to work with her. She completed the course in Feb 2023 and we met again at LFoW23 later that year.

Plans are already underway for LFoW25, which will be at the same venue. You can register for updates here.

 Shamefully late in posting photos from LFoW23. This time, the
festival was in London, at Regents College, and was non-residential.
I’ll let the pix do the talking. 

The opening keynote address with Philippa East, self-edit alumna and starry star.

John Taylor, who has been to every FoW apart from 2022 (blame Covid) with his first published novel.

With Marve Michael, winner of the self-edit bursary and keynote speaker for 2024. Full list of bursary winners on the screen behind us.

Writers writing in my workshop on voice

Caring and sharing in my Facing the Fear workshop

Agent Sil Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Aptos”,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} é Edwards making connections with one of the Friday Night Live (on Saturday) finalists.

The traditional self-edit alumni pic

With Anna Burtt, co-hosting Friday Night Live (on Saturday)

Bookings open for LFoW24, again in London but in a very swanky venue! The self-edit course, now in its 13th year, is going strong. Details here. Bursaries available – see here. For evidence of how transformative the course is, check out our Hall of Fame.

After a two-year break, the Jericho Writers
Festival of Writing was back and it was bigger and better than ever
before. While it was initially overwhelming to be with 400 people in one
place, after only interacting online for so long, the weekend was a huge success.
I’ll let the photos tell the story. Apologies for the non-chronological order and the lack of tags.

With Emma Darwin and our wonderful self-edit alumni

L-R: Janette Owen, Audrey Niven, Mandy Berriman, me, Emma Darwin

The first shortlisted author reading at Friday Night Live

With Janette Owen

With Mandy Berriman, author of Home

The final keynote address with Neema Shah, author of Kololo Hill

With Marvellous Michael

With Neema Shah, keynote speaker and author of Kololo Hill, and Anna Burtt, Jericho’s events organiser

The view from the stage in the final keynote address

Scrubbed up for the gala dinner

Bonus bunnies

With Mandy Berriman and Paul McVeigh

Disco!

Gala dinner menu – veg option delicious but not listed

With Mandy Berriman

Janette Owen and Audrey Niven

The room key at York. Geddit?

View from the stage at Friday Night Live

Friday Night Live finalists

Agent panel at Friday Night Live

Jo Unwin

L-R: Katy Massey, Janette Owen, Audrey Niven, Mandy Berriman

Forward to 2023, hopefully without the need for masks

When I started this blog, over 20 years ago, I could never have predicted writing this post. I’m still so overwhelmed, I’m going to reproduce the press release sent out by the Romantic Novelists’ Association rather than find my own words. 

LONDON INDIE EDITOR WINS INDIE EDITOR OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS’ ASSOCIATION INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021

FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER 2021 London Indie Editor, Debi Alper, has won the Indie Editor of the Year award for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual Industry Awards for 2021.
The awards, which include four exciting new categories for this year,
celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation
who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive
way. The Indie Editor of the Year award recognises an editor who has worked on an independently published novel that falls within the scope of romantic fiction, and
who embraces the genre, supports writers to produce their best work,
and is innovative, creative and visionary in the marketing and promotion
of romantic fiction on every level.

Debi
is an author, freelance editor and creative writing tutor. Since 2006,
Debi has spent her time helping other writers to perfect their novels
through critiques, mentoring, Book Doctor sessions and creative writing
workshops. She also runs the phenomenally successful Jericho Writers’
Self-Edit Your Novel course, together with Emma Darwin. An astonishing
one in four authors from the first five years of the course are now
published. Debi also acts as a competition judge, is on the jury for the
London Independent Story Prize and is a reader for the Costa Short
Story Awards.

She commented, “I
would like to dedicate this award to the hundreds of authors I’ve
worked with over the years, many of whose novels now grace my
bookshelves. The world needs your stories and I’m so privileged and
proud to have been a part of such wonderful journeys.”

Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, commented, “I
am delighted for the recipients of this year’s Romantic Novelists’
Association Industry Awards and applaud their wonderful skill and
creativity. The range and depth of expertise and their dedication in
supporting romantic fiction is outstanding. Honouring the winners has
been a pleasure and a privilege.”

The awards, which have been held for the
eighth time, are highly respected in the UK publishing industry. The
shortlistees are nominated by the full and associate membership of the
Romantic Novelists’ Association, with the winners being chosen by a
panel of judges.

The
new award categories recognise the best Narrator, Named Cover Designer,
Indie Editor, and Indie Champion of the Year. Along with the best
Bookseller, Media Star, Agent, Publisher or Editor, Library or
Librarian, and the Inclusion Award for championing inclusivity in
romantic authorship and publishing, they spotlight the many
professionals who promote and support romantic fiction.

The winners of the ten awards were announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony, which was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London EC3N 2BQ, on Thursday 28th October 2021.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA INFORMATION ABOUT DEBI ALPER

Debi
commented, “I became a published author – and a parent – in my forties,
having worked in a variety of jobs after leaving school. I began
working full-time as a freelance editor in my fifties. Now in my
sixties, I have my dream job and can’t imagine ever wanting to retire. I
like to think that I’m proof that age need not be a barrier to success,
nor do you need a string of academic qualifications.”

 EDITED TO ADD LINK TO THE INTERVIEW RNA DID WITH ME AS PART OF THEIR ‘ASK AN INDUSTRY EXPERT’ SERIES. 

GET ME! AN EXPERT! Thanks so much to Sue Fisher for the interesting questions. 

With Orna Ross from ALLi, who won the Indie Champion of the Year

 Ah, my poor neglected blog. What a lot has happened in the world since I last posted in 2019. 

I’m breaking radio silence to announce some BIG news! I’m blown away to have been shortlisted by the RNA for their inaugural Indie Editor of the Year Award 2021. I know, right? I love what I do – who wouldn’t? I spend all day (and quite a lot of my nights) working with wonderful authors on fabulous stories. That brings its own rewards and I never expected to be recognised in this way for doing the job I enjoy so much. It’s as if a dream that I never knew that I had has come true. Here’s the announcement in the Bookseller. 

I’ll also get to go to the famous RNA awards party! For years, I’ve seen photos on social media and thought these events looked like such fun, never guessing that I would be there myself one day in this capacity. 

It’s going to take some adjustment. Like many people, I’m not used to socialising after well over a year of keeping my head down and, in any case, I’m always more comfortable with the spotlight shining on someone else, having the satisfaction of having helped them to get there. I’m going to have words with myself though and own this. I like to think I’m proof that age is no barrier to success, nor do you need academic qualifications to know how stories work.