Affirm focuses on children’s/YA manuscripts in 2019 mentorship award

Thursday, 28 February 2019 Books+Publishing

This year’s Affirm Press Mentorship Award will focus exclusively on young adult and middle-grade fiction submissions, says the publisher.

Writers of the three winning submissions will receive a week-long residency at Varuna, the Writers House, in the Blue Mountains. The authors will work with younger readers senior editor Davina Bell and commissioning editor Clair Hume, who will provide manuscript development and feedback.

Hume said: ‘Our list has grown a lot since its launch in 2017 and our picture books have seen great sales and recognition. We’ve already got some terrific middle-grade and YA fiction coming soon, but we’re on the lookout for more. The Affirm Press Mentorship has proved so successful for the general list it seems a fantastic way for us to find and nurture something new.’

Launched in 2015, the Affirm Press Mentorship Award offers three local writers at any stage of their career the chance to work with Affirm’s publishing team during a week-long residency at Varuna. Last year, Affirm made changes to the program to make the award more accessible for low-income earners.

Applications for the 2019 award open on Monday 18 March and close on Tuesday 30 April.

Category: Junior Local news