Hachette UK’s Pride Network launches new round of Grow Your Story initiative

Hachette UK has opened submissions for its third cohort of the free development programme Grow Your Story, to be run this year by the company’s Pride Network to “support the queer fiction stars of the future.”

In partnership with David Higham Associates (DHA) and The Future Bookshelf, Grow Your Story – launched in 2020 by Thrive, Hachette UK’s Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage employee network – provides 10 unagented fiction writers, who identify as LGBTQ+ and have not been traditionally published, with the opportunity to develop their novels, demystify the publishing process and provide them with practical skills.

The selected writers will have access to mentorship from a Hachette UK editor and a DHA agent, and a series of online workshops run by industry professionals culminating in an open day at Hachette UK’s London office in 2025.

The final 10 writers will be selected by a judging panel comprised of authors Laura Kay (Quercus) and C L Clark (Little, Brown), DHA agent Sara Langham and Cal Kenny, Little, Brown commissioning editor for fiction.

Applicants are requested to send a 3,000 word sample of their work, a short description of their novel and a brief writer profile here. They are invited to suggest the genre of the book and give an idea of what readers might also enjoy reading, watching and listening to. Submissions will close on Sunday 14th July.

Kenny, Hachette Pride committee member and divisional representative for The Future Bookshelf, said: “The opportunity to nurture LGBTQ+ writers and develop their work, right at the beginning of their careers, is one that is very exciting and central to Hachette’s desire to achieve equity and true representation for all readers.

“I personally can’t wait to see the wide and diverse scale of submissions from across all genres of literary and commercial fiction, and to empower the published authors of tomorrow. At a time where LGBTQ+ rights feel on shakier ground than any point in the past decade, fiction and storytelling is more vital than ever before to inspire, inform and foster genuine empathy.”

DHA’s Langham added: “We are thrilled at DHA to be supporting the Grow Your Story initiative again, this year on behalf of the Pride network. We’re hugely looking forward to collaborating with Hachette and Pride on this exciting and important venture and can’t wait to read everyone’s submissions.”