All Stories

We’re now entering a quiet season for All Stories, but watch this space for news as we have it to share… (And here’s your forever reminder to keep writing and working on your craft!!)

If you’re a writer looking to develop yourself and your work, a mentorship like #AllStories really is a life-changing opportunity. And you don’t just need to take our word for it - here’s Emmy Clarke @starmaid - telling you about their experience as an All Stories mentee. So if you’re debating about whether to apply for such an opportunity, we say go for it! #allstories

If you’re a writer looking to develop yourself and your work, a mentorship like #AllStories really is a life-changing opportunity. And you don’t just need to take our word for it - here’s Helen Rose @helenrosebooks telling you about her experience as an All Stories mentee. So if you’re debating about whether to apply for such an opportunity, we say go for it! #allstories

If you’re a writer looking to develop yourself and your work, a mentorship like #AllStories really is a life-changing opportunity. And you don’t just need to take our word for it - here’s Hayley Grififn telling you about her experience as an All Stories mentee. If you’re debating about whether to apply for such an opportunity, we say go for it! #allstories

If you’re a writer looking to develop yourself and your work, a mentorship like #AllStories really is a life-changing opportunity. And you don’t just need to take our word for it - here’s Olivia-Savannah @oliviascatastrophe telling you about her experience as an All Stories mentee. So if you’re debating about whether to apply for such an opportunity, we say go for it! #allstories

We might be in-between #AllStories programmes, but the support for our former mentees doesn’t stop! They were treated to an amazing editing masterclass last week, by the wonder-editor/author/mentor that is Sara Grant. It was packed full of incredibly helpful, practical exercises and advice, and possibly the biggest takeaway was the importance of the editing process in getting to truly know yourself as a writer, and using that to develop and refine your work. Huge thanks to Sara for giving us your time and your wisdom! Sara’s new book, The Ultimate Guide to Editing, is out now - we’re not exaggerating when we say this is the BEST editing book out there. A must-have for any writer!

Alhamdulillah it's Friday. My week has been filled with energy and creativity, thanks to the amazing folks at @allstorieswrite and @megaphonewriterscic , who hosted the phenomenal Sara Grant, for special workshops with All Stories and Megaphone mentees. Sara took us through several exercises from her fantastic book, The Ultimate Guide to Editing Your Novel, which is jam-packed with practical tips and tools to interrogate our writing and develop and grow as novelists. Character, chapter or line, each exercise helped me discover a little bit more about my writing style and understand how I can make my words shine. The workshops also helped me untangle a particular knot in my YA dystopia, but more importantly, Sara has helped me change my approach to editing, which I hope will help me continue to grow as a children's novelist. I'm now looking forward to a weekend of intense revisions to prep my entry for @scbwi_british_isles Undiscovered Voices competition. Big shout-out to Leila, @thisiscatherinecoe and team for all your work in making All Stories and Megaphone Writers the best place to be for underrepresented writers. You are superstars ✨️ #AlhamdulillahItsFriday #TGIF #ThatFridayFeeling. #inthemoment #writingcommunity #authorsofinstagram #authorcommunity #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #amwritingfiction #writing #writersofinstagram #youngadultfiction #youngadultbooks [Writing, writers, YA writers, aspiring writers, book community, writing community, book editing, editing your novel]

Wishing our talented 2024 mentees the best possible luck as they take their next steps into their writing and publishing careers. We’re so proud of you all, and can’t wait to see the brilliant things you’ll do. We’re excited to watch this space for more news on: Emmy Clarke (top middle), Paula David (top right), Tara Schwarze-Chintapatla (centre left), Tammie Meera Ash (centre middle), Jane Kent (centre right), Marva Carty (bottom left), Mohammad Saki (bottom middle), Helen Rose (bottom right), Hayley Griffin (not pictured). And you can read more about them and their writing on our website, on the previous mentee page: .uk/mentorships/previous-mentees #AllStories2024

THAT’S A WRAP ON ALL STORIES 2024! It was the biggest and most ambitious All Stories programme yet, supporting writers from underrepresented groups, which... Provided 10 picture book/young fiction writers with comprehensive six-month mentorships including: 1-2-1 support, webinars with industry experts and a monthly book club... Helped hundreds of people start/continue their children’s book writing journey by offering: 16 introductory writing workshops across the UK... Established over 20 writing groups, both in-person and online, providing writers with all-important support and critique networks... Held a successful networking event in partnership with Megaphone Writers CIC @megaphonewriterscic for our mentees to meet and establish relationships with agents and editors. Huge thanks to everyone involved in the project: the industry professionals who mentored writers/presented webinars/ ran workshops, the writing group facilitators, the host venues and Megaphone for being a wonderful partner. Many thanks also to our funders and supporters in kind: Arts Council England @aceagrams ALCS @alcs_uk Inclusive Books for Children @ibc_reads SCBWI @scbwi_british_isles The Society of Authors @thesocietyofauthors The Royal Society of Literature @royalsocietyofliterature Pen to Print @officialpentoprint And most importantly, thanks so much to all the writers who utilised the project: the mentees, the workshop participants and the writing group members. Without you and your talent, dedication and drive, we wouldn’t be able to continue our efforts to improve diversity and representation in the children’s books industry. If you’d like to read more about All Stories 2024, you can download our programme evaluation report from our website – see the link in bio. With much appreciation from the All Stories 2024 committee: Catherine Coe, Laura Warminger, Patrice Lawrence, Nina Douglas and Natascha Biebow #allstories2024

Hugest congrats to All Stories alum @kenechiudogu on publication of the brilliant AUGMENTED today, with @faberchildrens - as winner of their Imagined Futures prize! We’re so proud to have been a small part of your journey and can’t wait to watch this book - and you - soar! - 💜 team All Stories and @thisiscatherinecoe

We’re celebrating the incoming Easter long weekend by sharing our current reads with you - we’d love to hear what’s on your tbr, too! The copy on our slides reads: Catherine @thisiscatherinecoe is reading … Sufferah by @alexwheatle @arcadia_books Over Easter, I’ll be reading Alex Wheatle’s memoir, Sufferah (published by @arcadia_books ). The publishing community was rocked by the news of Alex’s death last month. I’ve been saving his memoir, and almost don’t want to start it as I want to savour the words he left us. Alex was not only brilliantly talented but incredibly supportive to others in the industry, especially championioning those from marginalised communities. A master of his craft, and also a really, really lovely person. Alex, you are – and will always be – sorely missed. Patrice @lawrencepatrice is reading… All Stories alumna, Kenechi Udogo’s @kenechiudogu debut, Augmented. What if making ourselves better makes us worse? A compelling speculative fiction YA brimming with forbidden romance and rebellion. Rashmi is (also!) reading… Augmented by Kenechi Udogu @kenechiudogu “I’ve been reading AUGMENTED by Kenechi Udogu, winner of the Faber Children’s Imagined Futures Prize. Out in June, it’s an original and gripping YA eco sci fi from an exciting new voice. Absolutely one to watch!” Laura is reading… The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan @hibanoorkhan1 @andersenpress I have a huge reading pile to work my way through over Easter. My first read will be The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan. The story of three best friends, born on the same day in miraculous circumstances. It looks at how their lives are changed forever when the British announce Indian independence and draw lines of Partition that tear their lives apart. Nina is reading…. The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji @harpercollinsuk

We can’t quite believe that we’re already posting our final workshop report of the #allstories2024 programme… A slightly postponed final workshop - hosted by the brilliant @iambookhorse Polly Ho-Yen at Barnstaple Library @barnstaplelibrary - took place on Saturday! The copy on our slides reads: Barnstaple writing for children workshop with Polly Ho-Yen “A great insight into the writing process. Loved it!” “Loved learning about the start of the writing process bit - and how to generate ideas.” - workshop attendees “We were delighted to have been given the opportunity to host an All Stories writing workshop with children’s author Polly Ho-Yen. The attendees were buzzing with ideas and inspiration when they left the library.” - Lisa D’Alberti, librarian, Barnstaple Library ‘A wonderful and inspiring group at Barnstaple Library! Our main take away was - Go for it!’ - Polly Ho-Yen #allstories2024