May 2022

Are you sitting on an idea for a brilliant children’s story? Want to create a fantastic new world or the perfect crime mystery for young readers? Or need some insider tips on how to pitch your story to agents and publishers? If so, come and join us on Saturday 21 May at our Writing Great Middle Grade Fiction event! Gain skills writing across a range of genres in a series of specialist workshops with professional writers and discover what literary agents want in a practical session on pitching with a children’s literary agent. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginner, our workshops will help to spark your imagination in writing for 8–12-year-olds. Limited tickets are available for this event – book now to reserve your place!

Course Description

What's included:
4 x 1hr writing workshops with published middle-grade authors
1 x 45min advice session with children's literary agent
1 x 1hr pitch event with agent and middle-grade authors*
Lunch and refreshments
This event runs 9.45am-5pm and will be held at the Waterfront Building, University of Suffolk, Ipswich.
Day tickets are £80 and a discount of 25% is available for SCBWI members (£60).
Limited tickets are available for this event so please book now to reserve your place!
*To be eligible for your writing to feature in the pitch event, you will need to purchase your ticket no later than Monday 16 May.

Authors and agents:
Ann-Marie Howell writes historical fiction for children. Her second book, The House of One Hundred Clocks, won the prestigious East Anglian Book of the Year in 2020. Her fourth book, The Secret of the Treasure Keepers, will be published in March 2022.
Benjamin Dean is a celebrity reporter based in London. His debut book for children, Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow (Simon & Schuster) celebrates family, identity and inclusivity and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2022.
Sophie Green is the author of the spooky detective series, Potkin and Stubbs, published by Piccadilly Press. She has a degree in Zoology and an interest in folklore and urban legend. She was born and still lives in East Anglia.
Darragh Martin is a novelist and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Suffolk, His fantasy novel The Keeper, published by Little Island, was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award for Children's Book of the Year (Senior).
Clare Wallace joined the Darley Anderson Agency in 2011. She represents children's fiction (all ages) as well as illustrators and a boutique list of adult fiction. Clare has a BA and an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.