Martyn Bedford - Writer

One of the UK’s newer literary agencies has launched a scheme to help aspiring writers develop their work and I’m delighted to have joined their team of mentors.

The Ruppin Agency, founded by former bookseller Jonathan Ruppin in 2017, has set up The Ruppin Agency Writers’ Studio, offering mentoring and editing packages to writers of fiction, non-fiction and young adult. Full packages will involve one-to-one mentoring sessions, a developmental edit and a session of literary agent advice. Mentoring-only packages, including agent feedback, are offered for fixed periods as well as one-off sessions and bespoke options.

Each writer will be matched with one of nearly 30 mentors across the UK, experienced in the relevant genre and providing both face-to-face feedback and video consultations. I’m one of 11 based in the north of England and am offering meetings in Leeds and Bradford. Other mentors include Women’s Prize-shortlisted novelist Emma Henderson, Royal Society of Literature fellow Irenosen Okojie, and author and critic Jonathan Taylor, director of the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester . . . as well as two of my former students, now both successful writers: Susan Barker and Rachel Connor.

The Ruppin Agency Writers’ Studio is run in association with The Book Edit, led by Emily Pedder, Course Director at City, University of London, who has 15 years’ experience as a developmental editor and creative writing tutor.

For full details of the scheme click on this link to the agency’s website.