With details of a competition (deadline 24 November) and more:

Announcing the BPA Pitch Prize: Deadline Nov 24th, 2020

The BPA Pitch Prize is open to any un-agented writer looking for representation for a work of fiction. Up to seven winners will get to pitch their novel to our judge, Jane Finigan, leading literary agent at Lutyens & Rubinstein.

We accept submissions of the first 500 words and a 300 word synopsis. You need to have written at least the first 10,000 words of the novel although we only require the first 500 words. Entry is £10. Winners will be announced in January.

This year we are offering up to 10 free entries for UK based writers on low incomes or from communities currently under-represented in publishing.

If there are more than ten applications the most promising ten submissions will be selected by the BPA team.

Jane Finigan, partner at Lutyens & Rubinstein, represents critically acclaimed and award winning novelists including Claire Fuller, Lisa Owens, Ned Beauman and Sarah Haywood.

Enter the Pitch Prize

Upcoming Online Events: October and November

Psychic Distance with Emma Darwin – October 29
Over the years Emma has found that learning to work with psychic distance – often called narrative distance or emotional distance – is the game-changer for her students. There will be time for questions, and by the end you should have a new set of tools in your tool-kit and an understanding of why they can make such a huge difference.

A Literary Marriage: agent Jane Finigan & author Claire Fuller – November 12
Jane Finigan from leading literary agency Lutyens & Rubinstein (judge of the Pitch Prize!) and best selling author Claire Fuller (Bitter Orange, Swimming Lessons, Our Endless Numbered Days) talk about the special relationship between author and agent, how to find your own perfect match and how to make the most of the relationship in developing your writing career.

Plot, Structure & Storytelling with Emma Darwin – November 28
Worrying about plot, structure and storytelling isn’t only for writers who’ve been told they have a saggy middle. Some writers can’t get writing at all until they’ve got everything sorted out; some writers can’t think about structure till they have a whole first draft down; and the successful authors who say they never plot may just be doing it intuitively. But to keep your reader reading, you need to keep them wanting to know what happens next, right to the end.

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BPA Online Events for Writers

From September 24 to November 28

Our Online Events season kicks off on September 24 with some inspiration from writing guru Emma Darwin (This is Not a Book About Charles Darwin). We have sessions covering all the technical aspects of writing, from structure to POV to narrative distance. Come and be instructed by such exciting contemporary authors as Alice Jolly (Mary Ann Sate, Imbecile), Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott (Swan Song) and Claire Fuller (Bitter Orange).

There are still a few remaining places for our writing weekend September 24 - 27 or if you don't have time to attend all four afternoon sessions, join us for the sessions individually. Get in touch for more information.

Motivation and Inspiration with Emma Darwin

Everyone knows about the terror of the blank page, but what about the terror of page 247? Or the terror of your second novel, while your first is out on submission to agents and publishers? In this workshop we will look at how writing needs both inspiration and perspiration, how they interact – and how what you need can change as your writing develops.

Point of View and Voice with Alice Jolly

Do you know when you have changed view point? Why have you changed view point and are you sure you need to? Point of View seems to get writers in more of a tangle than any other technical issue. Alice Jolly explains how to get it right.

The Writer's Palette with Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott

Whether describing everyday events, love and loss, complex plots or mystery drama, when used effectively, the writer’s palette paints a vivid and vibrant picture in the mind of the reader evoking emotion and engaging the reader in a new experience.

September 2020

BOOK ON

OCTOBER & NOVEMBER TUTORIALS

Psychic Distance with Emma Darwin | October 29

Over the years Emma has found that learning to work with psychic distance – often called narrative distance or emotional distance – is the game-changer for her students. There will be time for questions, and by the end you should have a new set of tools in your tool-kit and an understanding of why they can make such a huge difference.

Plot, Structure and Storytelling with Emma Darwin | November 28

Worrying about plot, structure and storytelling isn’t only for writers who’ve been told they have a saggy middle. Some writers can’t get writing at all until they’ve got everything sorted out; some writers can’t think about structure till they have a whole first draft down; and the successful authors who say they never plot may just be doing it intuitively. But to keep your reader reading, you need to keep them wanting to know what happens next, right to the end.

AGENT & AUTHOR Q & A

Agent Submissions Q&A with Nelle Andrew | September 26

Leading literary agent Nelle Andrew discusses the dos and don’ts of submitting to agents, how you can make your submission stand out from the pile, and what you should be asking a potential agent. You’ll go home with practical tips for what to include in your cover letter, how to write a clear synopsis and the tools you need to hone your elevator pitch.

A Literary Marriage with Claire Fuller and Jane Finigan | November 7

Jane Finigan from leading literary agency Lutyens & Rubinstein and best selling author Claire Fuller (Bitter Orange, Swimming Lessons, Our Endless Numbered Days) talk about the special relationship between author and agent, how to find your own perfect match and how to make the most of the relationship in developing your writing career.

View all events or sign up to the BPA Long Writing Weekend

Assistance to writers on low incomes and/or from communities under-represented in publishing.

We are offering a free place on each of our online tutorials and Q&A sessions for UK based writers on low incomes and/or from under represented communities in publishing. Writers may apply for a free place on one of the sessions by contacting BPA with a short bio and a summary of their writing career to date.

Please click here to Contact BPA with your application and in the case of writers on low incomes, proof of financial eligibility such as: Jobseeker’s Allowance; Disability Benefit; Income Support; Working Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; Proof of being a full-time student; Housing benefit; Proof of being a full-time carer.

All details will be kept confidential. Decisions on who receives the free places rest with the BPA team not the tutors.