Success stories
Our writers go on to publishing contracts with major publishers.

New Island have signed The Grateful Water by The Novelry graduate, Juliana Adelman—a historical debut set in Dublin in 1866 about an ensemble of characters seeking refuge or forgiveness from the River Liffey.

Juliana is represented by literary agency Greene & Heaton. 

Juliana says: “I was just dabbling around with little prospect of finishing anything when I took The Novelry courses. I got to the end which gave me the confidence to revise and revise some more with The Big Edit. The best thing about The Novelry is the people! A supportive environment fostered by Louise and the team and a whole crew of writers.”

Penguin Random House has acquired The Language of Birds by The Novelry graduate, K.A. Merson. Ballantine Books will publish the novel in hardback.

In The Language of the Birds, a brilliant but solitary teenager must unlock ciphers, unearth buried clues, and reckon with the outside world as she pursues an ancient secret in this brainteasing, puzzle-filled mystery.

K.A. Merson says: “There may be numerous paths to publication, but I’d argue that most of them are long, winding, and full of danger. It pays to hire guides who know the way and can identify the hazards. For me, one of those guides was The Novelry. After making many of the changes suggested by The Novelry, my agent queries garnered significantly more interest in the form of full MS requests. It can really pay to hire professionals.”

Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, will publish The Accidental Malay by The Novelry graduate, Karina Robles Bahrin.

The novel was the winner of the Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

Karina says: “Thank you for all the support The Novelry team gave me :-) I couldn’t have finished the manuscript without the help of everyone there.”

Welbeck, an imprint of Hachette, will publish two books by The Novelry graduate Kate Gray, acquired in a six-figure deal following a four-way auction.

Kate says: “In desperate need of some TLC, I joined The Novelry. I wanted to feel part of a gang, share writing wins and woes, and remind myself that I’d done it before and I could do it again, no matter how daunting the blank page first appears. I hoped that if I surrounded myself with like-minded writers, I would soon be fired up with creativity and rediscover that escape I desperately craved. I looked forward to the weekly team chats, and the live author Q&A sessions where I wrote down all the advice and notes in my new Moleskine until my hand ached.

“One of the things I loved so much about The Novelry was the One Hour a Day method. This became an almost meditative form of self-care for me, especially during that first draft of The Honeymoon. I decided to write the sort of book that I would want to read. A fast-paced thriller with twists aplenty, relatable characters in situations that you as a reader could easily find yourself in and gritty themes; everything I adore in suspense fiction. Within two months I had a finished first draft. Unheard of in my writing career. Within four months it went on submission. Then it went to best and final bids at auction a fortnight later. This story, one that hadn’t existed even half a year ago, was now going to be a lead title for Welbeck.”

Penguin Random House and Bloomsbury published The Novelry graduate Kate Weinberg’s “crackling, comical, tender and mysterious” novel, There’s Nothing Wrong With Her.

‍U.S. rights were sold to Putnam (Penguin Random House) by Janklow & Nesbit and Bloomsbury acquired U.K. and Commonwealth rights.

‍There’s Nothing Wrong With Her is about a woman suffering an unnamed condition that confines her to a physical and mental state she calls The Pit. This is a book “about mental health, the certainties of medicine, buried trauma, love, death and time lost in the crushing—and comical—hopes of modern life.”

Kate says: “I’ve used the inspiring resources of The Novelry for help in developing both of my novels, The Truants and There’s Nothing Wrong With Her. I can say, hand-on-heart, that it has given me more tools and confidence—in both the art and craft of novel-writing—than my year-long prestigious Masters degree in Creative Writing ever did.”

Kelly Mullen, a graduate of The Novelry, has published her second novel, A Murder in Eight Cocktails, with Century (an imprint of Penguin Random House).I

n the seaside haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Willa Keane’s marriage is in a rut. As a retired interior-designer-turned-influencer, she’s sure life begins at fifty-five, whereas her husband, Marty, is more interested in watching his beloved birds.

So when Willa is invited to the opening of the chicest new cocktail bar in town, she hopes the evening will rekindle their flame. But arriving at the party, Willa is shaken to discover it’s being hosted by her charming ex-husband, Paul.

The night is thrown into even deeper chaos when the bar’s enigmatic owner is found dead on the rocks below. A suicide message suggests there’s no foul play, but Willa’s heightened senses aren’t so sure. Now she must solve the mystery together with her husband…and her ex-husband.

Can they find the killer before another victim is served their last cocktail?
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HarperCollins will publish the debut novel from The Novelry graduate Lucy Barker in a ‘significant’ two-book deal.

In the U.K., Katie Bowden, editorial director at 4th Estate, secured U.K. and Commonwealth rights to The Other Side of Mrs Wood.

The Other Side of Mrs Wood is described as “an irresistible historical comedy about two warring mediums in Victorian London, inspired by the real-life rivalry between famous spiritualists Agnes Guppy and Florence Cook in the 1870s.”

Lucy says: “I signed up to The Novelry to force myself to finish a languishing draft, thinking I’d use it as a prompt rather than a “school”—I’d done enough writing courses and wasn’t expecting to learn much more from the lessons. But WOW! Louise has developed a cornucopia of thought-provoking sessions and exercises that challenged the way I saw my practice and stretched my thinking and experience well beyond my comfort zone, resulting in a first draft I never thought I’d ever be able to write. And, just as predicted, I really did quickly start to come to my writing with confidence and joy. As a writer, you can’t ask for much more. I’m hugely grateful that I discovered this fantastic writing course and the marvellously inspiring Louise Dean and her equally inspiring coaches. Thank you!”

Crooked Lane Books has published The Lost Hours by The Novelry graduate, Lynn Tavernier.

‍The Lost Hours was a Finalist for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award and described as “if Dennis Lehane and F.Scott Fitzgerald co-wrote a book” by Peter Farrelly, Academy Award-winning co-writer and director of Green Book.

Lynn says: “I’d begun submitting to literary agents hoping to secure representation, but the results were less than encouraging. One agent offered kind words, but passed explaining the book still needed work and I should consider professional editorial assistance. He suggested I look into The Novelry. Tash Barsby’s lengthy report addressed every component of the book. I went to work and edited based on Tash’s recommendations, and the result was nothing short of amazing. My novel won the Claymore Award for best mystery at the Killer Nashville writers’ conference, and then became a finalist for the Debut Dagger Award. Soon after, I secured agent representation and then, the holy grail: a book deal.

“I can encourage anyone in need of editorial assistance to find it at The Novelry.”

Monica Balt has signed with agent Sam Brace at PFD for her debut historical novel, Calabash Mansion. In Calabash Mansion, a biracial woman (inspired by Queen Victoria’s real “Colonial Godchildren”) marries a compelling stranger to save her family from ruin, only to discover later, when pregnant on his remote jungle plantation in British Guiana, that her husband is haunted by a sinister family curse—that only he or their unborn child can survive. Monica is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

Monica says: “I’ll be eternally grateful to The Novelry for being there just when I needed it the most. Thank you to Louise Dean for her encouragement, to all the coaches and editors who have guided me through the years, and to my warm and wonderful community of The Novelry writers.”

Moyette Gibbons, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hannah Schofield at LBA Books for Disappearing, a book club debut about Honour Oaks, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who moved to London in the 1960s.

Nan Stone has signed with literary agents Jenny Bent and James Mustelier at The Bent Agency with her debut novel, The White Bone Wife. A Rebecca-inspired gothic set in 1930s Shanghai, The White Bone Wife tells the story of a young British-Chinese woman who falls in love with a married shipping tycoon and becomes his concubine, only to be terrorized by his wife, a disfigured opium addict lurking in the same house.

Nan honed her novel at The Novelry and received eight offers of representation through our bespoke submission service before signing with The Bent Agency.

Nan says: “Signing up for The Novelry has been one of the best things I’ve done for my career. Their tailored, incisive feedback on the Ultimate Manuscript Assessment helped turn me into the writer I am today. My heartfelt thanks to Gillian Holmes and Nic Caws for their longtime support, and also to the brilliant Emily Kitchin, who was the first person to believe in my book’s potential. From her spot-on edits in the UMA to her constant guidance through the querying process, I couldn’t have asked for a better supporter. I’m thrilled beyond words to be working with my dream agents, Jenny Bent and James Mustelier, on the next chapter of my career!”

Nat Bawarchi Grant, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Ed Wood at The Blair Partnership for her debut novel, Finished—a thriller with book club appeal, in which a journalist goes undercover at a renowned Swiss finishing school, only to learn its polished image is a cover for something much more sinister—and that the truth of her mother’s disappearance is one of their darkest secrets. Set between New York and the Alps, it explores the seductive mythology of ‘tradwife’ culture, the insidious reach of the patriarchy, and the punishing price of silence.

Nat was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

Nat says: “I signed up for The Novelry one rainy January afternoon when I was frustrated with my writing journey. As soon as I spoke to Louise Dean, I knew I was becoming part of something special. My writing has come on in leaps and bounds, and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my fantastic coaches, Amanda Reynolds and Katie Khan, whose expert guidance helped me shape my novel into something I could never have achieved alone. Combined with Tash Barsby’s exceptional editorial eye, I managed to complete my novel to a standard I’m genuinely proud of.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to say I’m now represented by the formidable Ed Wood at The Blair Partnership and I cannot thank The Novelry enough for believing in me and my work. This journey has been transformative, and I’m deeply grateful to have had such an incredible team supporting me every step of the way.”

Congratulations, Nat!

Nisha Lamsam Ligon, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with agent Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary Agency to represent Nisha’s middle-grade science fiction novel, Angani: The Starsnake Files, along with a number of picture books.

Nisha says: “The Novelry has given me the structure and guidance I needed to finally write a novel, and an understanding of the long road of novel-writing. Even more importantly, it’s provided an incredible community of writers and tutors who I feel constantly connected with, so the process isn’t so lonely. I love this community!”

Sacha Bonsor, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Elizabeth Sheinkman at PFD for her novel An Illustrated Guide to Sorrow and Spice — about family, food, freedom, and the argument that led to the very first moussaka.

Seema Punwani, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Claire Cavanagh of The Rights Factory.

Born in Spain, raised in Mumbai, Seema is a single mother now living in Singapore. Her debut novel Cross Connections was launched at the Pune International Literary Festival in India in 2018.

Sidra Ansari, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hannah Shepherd at HS Literary Agency for her book-club fiction based around the experience of Muslim women navigating life in the West.

Sidra says: “The course content was super insightful and informative, and the coaching calls invaluable. I learnt to sharpen my writing tools, grow courage and confidence, and slow down to enjoy the process of putting a story together—every writer’s dream!”