2023 Writing Mentorship Award Longlist

Judy is a videographer specializing in video biography, helping people to tell their stories for their children and grandchildren. She has been investigating her own family history for over 40 years, turning names and dates in to stories for her family: helping them to understand their past in order

I'm a Swedish born writer living in Brighton.

For over twenty years, I worked as a professor of literature and most of my published work is in the academic field. My specialization in the African diaspora literature of the Americas provides background material for my novel-in-progress. "Revolutions: from La Habana to Harlem" combines historical

J.M. Ervin is a teacher based out of Northern California. She lives with her husband, two kids, and countless wild animals. When not teaching, she can be found either lost writing in her own worlds, in front of a heater with too much coffee and her nose buried in a book, or as a hostage goddess in

I am a 43 year old British Pakistani/ Kashmiri woman from a working class background. I have degrees from Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I moved to Malawi in 2005 and back to the UK in 2021. I am married, have three daughters and currently live in Ascot and

I write warm, earth-conscious nurturing books which focus upon helping children heal from trauma, giving animals and nature a voice, and helping adults heal from painful childhoods. The books I write are intended to help children connect and overcome from hardship. They are inspired by my own

Jenny currently lives in Devon, England, after five and a half years as an itinerant home and pet sitter. She loves taking very long walks and talking to the cows. For the past decade, she has been quietly writing in different forms and genres, learning to trust her voice. One of her favourite

Originally from South West England – I am now settled (with my wonderful dog Millie) on the edge of the beautiful Lake District National Park. My writing, like my life, reflects some deep inner shifts – and I find great inspiration from being near the mountains, walking in the woods, or breathing in

Originally from South West England – I am now settled (with my wonderful dog Millie) on the edge of the beautiful Lake District National Park. My writing, like my life, reflects some deep inner shifts – and I find great inspiration from being near the mountains, walking in the woods, or breathing in

Emma Shtanichev is currently doing an MA in Creative Writing. She has been longlisted for Fish Publishing Short Story Prize. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found walking or swimming in the sea with her son.

Corporate turned creative. A City escapee, now debut novelist and freelance marketing and business consultant. My novels, written with screenplay adaptation in mind, draw on the reality of today - the highs and lows, twists and turns of modern life and love. Stories designed to entertain, provoke

I was born in Wisconsin, raised in Southern California, then moved back to Wisconsin, where I’ve lived for the last 35 years. Having four seasons instead of two has been one of the many benefits of living in Northwestern Wisconsin. So is living in the country, because I get to enjoy its beauty and

Born in Spain, raised in Australia, I now live in Ireland with my husband and two teenagers. I like to tap into the heart and mind of my protagonists, so readers connect to them on an emotional level. I'm a self-taught writer and In Her Skin is my debut novel. I'm active in writing/critique groups

As an avid reader I've always been fascinated by fiction and its ability to inspire the audience to question and reflect on aspects of real life. Like many people, this has made me want to write my own novels and finally, in my late 50s, I had the chance to study for a creative writing degree at De

I don’t remember the first story I wrote but at high school I do remember writing a ‘science fiction’ story featuring a pair of goggles that allowed you to see inside other people’s minds and reverse their deeds. As a teen I favoured poetry. I relished the straightjacket form of a haiku and the

Steve conveys perspectives and emotions in poems and songs. His draft memoir, Reluctant to Lead, tells how he overcame timidity as an air cavalry officer in the Vietnam War. A tuxedo cat from a shelter encourages him from a perch over his PC keyboard. Steve assists disabled veterans in getting

I'm a 56 year old violinist and string teacher, the daughter of a german-jewish holocaust refugee. I grew up in St Andrews, Scotland, where my Dad was a history lecturer in the university. Thereafter, I studied and lived in Sheffield until 2000. For the past 23 years I've been a resident of

Prasha is a published children's book author, clinical audiologist and educator with Master's degrees in Audiology and Education (Global Learning). Her award-winning picture book, My Brain is Magic: A Sebsory-Seeking Celebration was published by Soaring Kite Books in 2023. She was the recipient of a

Ayesha lives in Norway with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She was raised in Pakistan and worked for several years in Islamabad before moving to Norway, where she currently has a day-job as head of a product team. In 2022 she won a bursary for Jericho Writer’s Self-Edit Your Novel course

Kat Trigarszky (pen name: Katharine Rogers) is a freelance writer and copy editor originally from the UK but now living in Stockholm, Sweden. When not writing her first novel, a work of historical fiction set in England during the Second World War, she is a co-host of the Historical Fiction writing