Isle of Man writers are being offered the opportunity to pitch to an agent and publisher face-to-face during this year’s Manx Litfest.
Literary agent Joanna Swainson and Mark Lloyd from Irish e-publisher Pillar International Publishing are returning to the Island for Litfest 2013 having proved a hit at last year’s inaugural festival.
This year’s Litfest runs from Thursday, September 26 until Sunday, September 29 and will see a host of authors and poets visit the Island, including Adele Parks, Andrew Taylor, Barbara Erskine, Matt Haig, Curtis Jobling, Holly Webb, Craig Bradley and Paul Canon Harris.
Following last year’s one-on-one with Joanna, the agent signed up two Isle of Man writers - Rachel Green and Fiona McKenna - for the Hardman & Swainson agency.
Festival Director John Quirk explained: ‘There were only 10 slots available, and to have two of those writers signed up by an agent was fantastic. This year, we’re delighted to have Joanna and Mark back with us to give local writers the opportunity to pitch their manuscripts - and potentially land an agent or a publishing deal.
‘Hardman & Swainson is a relatively new agency, but it has made very impressive strides in a short space of time and you only have to look at their website to see the kind of deals Joanna and partner Caroline Hardman are securing for the authors on their list. Likewise, Pillar was launched last year and is building a strong reputation within indie e-publishing.
‘Last year, writers booked slots - one with Joanna, one with Mark - and brought their manuscripts along with them, with Joanna and Mark reading the scripts before giving feedback one-to-one. This year, we’re looking to do things slightly differently. Instead of bringing their scripts with them, writers interested in the sessions need to email their submission to us when booking a slot, and we will forward the submissions on to Joanna and Mark so they can read in advance and give feedback in person at an event during Litfest. The submission should consist of a covering letter, synopsis and first chapter of the script, or the first 3,000 words if it’s a long first chapter.’
John added: ‘The sessions with Joanna and Mark will be part of our “writers’ day” on the Saturday of Litfest (September 28), which will also include seminars on writing by authors. We’ll have full details of the day available soon, including cost and venue, but we wanted to let local writers know about the submission process now, as they need to be with us by midnight on Friday, September 13 to allow us to forward them on to Joanna and Mark for them to read in advance of Litfest.
‘Both Joanna and Mark were impressed with the quality of the work they read during last year’s festival, and are both looking forward to seeing what Isle of Man writers have to offer for 2013. If you’re interested in booking a slot with Joanna and Mark, or would like to be kept informed of details regarding the writers’ day, please drop us a line at manxlitfest@gmail.com or call 464634 after 5.30pm.’
You can find out more about Hardman & Swainson and Pillar at: www.hardmanswainson.com and www.indiepillar.com
The schedule for Litfest 2013 is nearly complete and should be up on the website - www.manxlitfest.com - soon, with printed programmes available early in September.
Manx Litfest is a registered charity (number 1100) and this year’s festival is being supported by Isle of Man Arts Council and Manx Heritage Foundation, along with vital support offered by many businesses and individuals, including Isle of Man Bank, Sure, Lingua Franca, IQE, Tower Insurance, Bridson & Horrox and ManSat.
Book fans can keep up-to-date on developments by visiting the website and signing up to the email newsletter, or following on Twitter (www.twitter.com/manxlitfest) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/manxlitfest).
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Image: Rachel Green and Fiona McKenna - via Steve Babb Photography
