I'm adding a spoken edition inspired by Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland & Dianne Buswell
& calling all unpublished and unrepresented women authors - how to enter the Discoveries Prize
My dear wordsmiths,
If you are listening to the audio voiceover - welcome to Write Reject Repeat spoken newsletter. If not, thanks for reading. I’ve been thinking about making this more accessible for a while for all the fabulous writers and journalists who can’t see as easily, or even at all, including marvellous author Trisha Ashley. However, this decision was cemented by the comedian Chris McCausland who has no sight at all yet is tearing up the dance floor on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing alongside partner Dianne Buswell. Go Chris & Dianne!
Oh, and please subscribe - it’s free! You only need an email address.
To get the ball rolling, I’m simply reading out this newsletter word for word - you could almost call this a podcast.. If you have never heard of me (and, frankly, why would you?) I’m a journalist and editor by day job who hides out in the countryside of Lancashire, England, when not out and about in the north.
I’m not a stranger to speaking out loud as I have a radio show at the weekend for Central Radio North West and also lead and host podcast in my day job at National World. This newsletter is aimed at both authors and journalists because is my experience, many journalists are writers or vice versa, including me. As well as generally over-sharing my life, I include news, opportunities and events for writers and journalists, occasional Q&As and anecdotes form my own journey as a querying writer.
It’s great writing weather..
Anyway, how are you on this murky, autumnal day? Outside my lovely barn home, the black Hebridean sheep are still as statues as the rain drives into them sideways, stoical as ever in the face of weather that is blown directly from the coast. The pheasants are only spotted when the weather become more inclement but Mr Robin is braver and can be seen out and about on the fence near the bare roses, looking cheerful. If the clouds blow away, you can see Beacon Fell looming in the distance. In the summer you can see Blackpool Tower, marking the delineation of land and sea, and the faint twinkling of waves in Morecambe Bay - framed by the dark shadows of Lake District Fells in the distance.
Late on Thursday there was exciting times as the Northern Lights put a show on. It was barely discernible with the naked eye but if you lifted your phone up and snapped the blue and pink ethereal light show became visible. Beautiful, but makes you question why the world is changing so rapidly.
How to enter Discoveries Prize for women writers:
The press office at Discoveries Prize has been in touch to urge all unpublished and un-agented women writers in the UK or Ireland to submit the opening of a novel in English – up to 10,000 words. You get the chance to take part in a bespoke creative writing course, secure personalised mentorship packages, an offer of literary agent representation and a prize of £5,000. Discoveries is run in partnership with Audible, Curtis Brown Literary Agency, and the Curtis Brown Creative writing school. More than a traditional prize; it is a unique development initiative which offers practical support and encouragement to aspiring female novelists of all backgrounds.
To inspire as many women as possible to enter and to help writers begin and refine their submissions, they have curated a free toolkit of resources, including writing tips and insights into the agenting and publishing process, practical advice and inspiration from judges, Women’s Prize for Fiction winners and publishing professionals. There is also a programme of live and online events and workshops.
The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Kate Mosse, international bestselling novelist and Founder Director of the Women’s Prize, alongside an impressive roster of names in writing and publishing. Submissions for Discoveries is now open until 13th January 2025. The winner of Discoveries, announced in May 2025, will receive an offer of representation from Curtis Brown and £5,000.
News, books, events, and opportunities
*Breaking.. Project Peter Pan nominated in the Make a Difference awards, a showcase of powerful national and local newspaper investigations and campaigns. Running during the industry’s Journalism Matters campaign in a few weeks (28 October – 3 November), the Making a Difference public vote for the best local and national campaigns will go live at 9:30am on Monday 28 October and close at 5pm on Wednesday 30 October. The local and national winners will be announced later in the week. I led this campaign please vote! (I’ll remind you when it goes live.)
We (National World) launched Project Peter Pan in March 2024 to give a voice to a “lost generation” unable to afford housing in the run-up to the general election. The project aimed to “give a voice to those in their 20s and 30s who have negotiated a pandemic, work hard and are ambitious, yet are lost.” Multiple regional titles took part.
Book of Manchester by Comma Press: Manchester has a reputation for being one of the UK’s loudest cities. In stark contrast, The Book of Manchester is a short story anthology more concerned with dialling down that sometimes deafening hubris. From the pair of homeless friends intent on shattering the ‘Manctopia’ property dream, to the middle-aged fan-girl feeling abandoned by both her husband and her city, it follows the struggles of ordinary residents navigating a city in dramatic flux – stories of thrilling quietude that might otherwise be lost amid all the roar and clamour.
Wearside Echoes podcast: A new launch by National World, where I work with podcast, Wearside Echoes is led and hosted by fabulous nostalgia writer Chris Cordner at the Sunderland Echo. It’s a fascinating and unashamedly fond deep dive into Sunderland's layered history, told in conversation with guests who helped shape it and were shaped by it. It's been a labour of love and a product of Chris's talent, local knowledge, and the amazing resources held by local heritage news brands. Hosted by Acast and available across podcast providers including Apple and Spotify.
**It’s today! Scholarship Application Deadline approaching for the Journalism Innovation and Leadership Programme (Class of 2025): The deadline to apply for scholarships for the Journalism Innovation and Leadership Programme led by François Nel at the University of Central Lancashire is quickly approaching. The scholarships aim to advance our mission of fostering the next generation of diverse news media leaders across all sectors. I am a graduate of this course, it’s fantastic!
The scholarships (sponsored by IMS (International Media Support), FT Strategies, Chrysalis, and The Media Lab, Jordan) cover tuition fees of £3,000 for the one-year, part-time, distance-learning Postgraduate Certificate in Journalism Innovation and Leadership, which begins on Monday, January 27 , 2025. To be considered, please ensure both of the following are submitted by Friday, 18 October.
1.University application form: https://lnkd.in/dxbpJ9Mr
2. Scholarship application form: https://lnkd.in/eaHWY-ie
So that’s it for this week. If you have read or listened this far, this edition may be a little late - apologies if you noticed! The audio version will be a little later still..
Sending a hug to those who need one, Nic (I always do!)