RCW and Knights Of launch children's publishing workshop for authors of colour

The RCW literary agency and publisher Knights Of have announced the return of a free children’s publishing workshop for aspiring authors of colour, now in partnership with development scheme Megaphone.

Panels will include expert advice from key industry figures at every stage of the publishing process, from submission to retailer. Highlights this year include a conversation with T·ªçlá Okogwu (pictured), a participant at the 2020 workshop whose debut middle-grade duology Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun was subsequently acquired by Simon & Schuster at auction.

With new support from Megaphone, a writer development scheme mainly funded by Arts Council England, participants will now be invited to join its community, a space for regular and ongoing support, advice and critiques from other writers and industry professionals.

Open from 7th July, applicants should send a sample of 1,000 to 5,000 words of their children’s or YA fiction along with a synopsis and a brief statement about their eligibility as an author of colour. RCW and Knights Of will open the workshop to 15 existing Megaphone members, and select a further 15 authors from the open submission.

The workshop will take place virtually in September, presenting five featured sessions across a one-day format. Entries can be submitted online until 9 p.m. on Sunday 8th August. Applicants must be UK based.