Six writers selected for Madeleine Milburn Mentorship Programme

Six writers have been selected for the inaugural Madeleine Milburn Mentorship Programme, launched to find new and exciting voices while guilding them in their early careers.

The agency had more than 1,500 applications for mentorship across adult and children's fiction. Successful applicants have a six-month programme of editorial guidance and presentations on the publishing industry, with a particular focus on international rights and book-to-film.

Those chosen include Nigar Alam, a writer born in Pakistan who has written a historical fiction novel, and Ronali Collings, a former City lawyer who has an MA in Creative Writing from Brunel University and is writing a commercial fiction novel.

Sophie Jo, a writer and poet from Coventry who has written a YA novel also makes the six, along with Avione Lee, a writer from Texas who has written a middle-grade fantasy.

Francesca Robbins, a writer from Brighton who has worked in international development and PR and is writing a historical suspense novel has also been picked alongside Sophia Spiers, a Londoner and recent graduate of Faber Academy who is writing a domestic thriller.

Madeleine Milburn (pictured) said: “We were blown away by the high standard of the entries and the number of applications. We are thrilled to be working with these incredibly talented writers and to guide them in the early days of their career. Reading for the mentorship has been a very rewarding experience and particularly exciting to see such a diverse range of voices represented in our mentees. We cannot wait to see what comes next for their careers.”