THIS WEEK
Children's News All Stories
CATHERINE COE, ABOVE, WHO LAUNCHED THE SCHEME IN MARCH, AND MENTEES, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, HANNAH EKEKWE, REBA KHATUN, SUAD KAMARDEEN AND TRACY CURRAN
All Stories reveals its 14 writing mentees An Arts Council-funded scheme to support
writers from a range of underrepresented backgrounds has revealed its first intake of 14 budding writers, who will be mentored by book editors
st Charlotte Eyre @charlotteleyre F 34
ourteen writers from across the UK have been selected to take part in the
inaugural All Stories mentorship programme for underrepresented children’s book authors. Catherine Coe, a freelance book editor who launched the scheme in March, said the mentees are from a range of underrepresented backgrounds— some identify as BAME, some as LGBTQ+, some live with a disabilit—and they write in a wide variet of genres, including comedy, thrillers, mysteries,
3rd September 2021
historical and adventure. Four are writing picture books, six are writing middle-grade books and four are working in the YA area. Each mentee has been matched with a professional children’s book editor, some freelance and some working for publishing houses. “The standard of applications was so high that the mentors had a really tough time choosing their mentees,” said Coe. “And, being All Stories’ first year, I believe this is the tip of the iceberg. It indicates how many talented people might be
out there wanting to develop their writing, but are unable to access support. Each mentor chose the writer they would be working with and were looking for promise in the writing and a spark that ignited their interest and passion. Oſten this was a fresh, original voice and writing full of heart.” Coe is mentoring Thomas Thomasson, who is working on a middle-grade book. The other writers and their mentors are: Melissa Abraham (picture books), mentored by Jon Appleton; Dawn Amesbury (middle grade), mentored by Sarah Stewart; Tracy Curran (picture books), mentored by Natascha Biebow; Jo Dearden (picture books), mentored by Helen Mortimer; Alison Dunne (middle grade), mentored by Jenny Glencross; Hannah Ekekwe (YA), mentored by Genevieve Herr; Rebecca Ferrier (YA), mentored by Tilda Johnson; Ikuko Ishiwaki
(picture books), mentored by Niamh Mulvey; Suad Kamardeen (YA), mentored by Emma Roberts; Mitchell Kamen (middle grade), mentored by Lucy Rogers; Lily Kerfoot (middle-grade), mentored by Sara Grant; Reba Khatun (middle grade), mentored by Kathy Webb; and Tasmia Tahia (YA), mentored by Nicki Marshall.
Being All Stories’ first year, this is the tip of the iceberg. It indicates how many talented people might be out there wanting to develop their writing Catherine Coe, All Stories founder
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