Madeleine Milburn mentorship scheme opens submissions for under-represented writers

The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency has opened submissions to its six-month writing mentorship, this year focusing on aspiring authors from under-represented backgrounds.

Now in its third year, the 2022 programme is offering six spaces on the scheme and, for the first time, all of them will be reserved for those from under-represented backgrounds. This includes writers from an ethnic minority background, LGBTQ+ writers, writers who are disabled or neurodiverse, and those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The programme will be split into two parts. The first half will take place as a series of online insight sessions, given by editors, agents, international rights and film and TV professionals, alongside authors. These sessions will take place over the course of six months, and mentees will gain insight into the entire industry process. Sessions might include conversation with an editor, insights into the book-to-film process, advice on selling books internationally and panel discussions with agency authors.

The second part of the programme will run concurrently with the first, but without a fixed time limit. Each mentee will be partnered with an MM literary agent mentor and will receive personalised editorial feedback on their manuscript. Each mentee will also receive guaranteed representation from an agent, and the agent will aim to ready the candidate’s manuscript for submission for publishers around the world.

The agency is looking for narratives with universal themes, that cast a “critical lens on society”, or have something “new, fresh and interesting” to say.

Commercial, literary, thriller, historical, romance, book club, middle grade and young adult fiction is encouraged, while narrative non-fiction, memoir, new perspectives in history, arts and culture, politics, economics, philosophy, psychology, nature and science, unusual illustrated projects, cookery or food writing is welcomed in non-fiction. 

“I am delighted by how far our previous mentees have come over these past few years, and I look forward to welcome a brand new group of writers to our agency,” said Madeleine Milburn, founder of the agency. “As an agency, we continue to champion writers from all walks of life and I am very excited to share that for the first time, all the places on this year’s mentorship scheme will be reserved to those from under-represented backgrounds. We are so excited to meet and work with our future mentees, and to champion new voices around the world.”

Writers should send applications to mentorship@madeleinemilburn.com, including a pitch in the body of their email, a two-page synopsis of the plot and the first chapter of their manuscript. Entries must be received by 5.30pm on 31st July 2022.

The manuscript must be the original work of the entrant, and not previously self-published, published or have appeared in any commercial form, such as an anthology or journal, and be written in English (not translated).

The mentorship programme is open to writers around the world. Entrants must be over the age of 16 and unrepresented.